Hit By Destiny outtakes
by ocdmess
Summary: Outtakes from the story "Hit By Destiny".
1. Outtake: Snippet

This outtake was written for **_Fandom Gives Back - Eclipse Edition_**.

I want to thank **mommakal** and her team for bidding (and winning) the auction.

Also a big thanks to **kharizzmatik** for beta'ing.

I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**Hit By Destiny**

**Outtake:** "**Snippet"**

**Edward Cullen POV**

I threw the offending piece of white fabric on the floor and held my tongue from cursing out loud. I already had two strikes – I couldn't afford another one. Even though I thought I was alone in the back room, one could never be sure who was listening – especially when it came to my current co-workers. They all wanted me gone because I was the one getting most of the sexy customers – and the tips. I couldn't be too angry about that, though, since it was with the tips that I had managed to save up enough to get a special gift for a certain someone.

A certain someone who happened to be my damn happy place. All I had to do was to think of her and my frown would be replaced with a smile. All the bullshit from the day would wash off of me like water on a duck, and suddenly I'd be calm again. She was better than any of the meds I was taking – or _had taken_ over the years.

_Sparrow_.

I picked up my apron again and sat down on the worn chair, folding the fabric in my lap before leaning back. I dragged my hand through my hair and took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the tension that was still present. Although I knew that particular tension had nothing to do with my job and everything to do with her.

_Damnit. _

I got up and walked over to my locker, putting my apron on one of the shelves before grabbing my jacket. I figured I better get out of there before my manager asked me to stay longer, since it was no secret that business was always better when I was there. The seventeen-year-old version of me would have been ashamed. Who would've thought that Edward fucking Cullen would end up being a damn bartender-slash-waiter? Granted, it was at a high-end type of place – a spot for young and rich people if you will. That was mainly our circle of customers – young, twenty-somethings, living off of their daddy's paychecks. In a way, I guess that meant their daddies were paying for my rent and living expenses, too. I wondered if, in a fucked up way, that made them my sugar daddies.

Dear God, I hoped not.

At least I was able to keep a roof over my head, as well as keep my bird fed.

I walked out the back door, which was for personnel only, and toward my Volvo.

No, it wasn't the same silver Volvo that I had back in high school. This particular Volvo was a black SUV that I'd gotten for my eighteenth birthday. It had been clear from early on that I would never be able to drive the silver bullet again and nobody blamed me for it. On the contrary, actually, Bella had been on my side as soon as I mentioned trading it for another car. Three weeks after our conversation, sitting in the car in the garage, we had decided to finally put my driving to the test with the Volvo. I wasn't sure who felt worse after it – her or me.

We'd barely made it down the driveway and onto the main road before everything came rushing back. I was barely hanging on, but it was still more than you could say about her. She completely freaked out and got out of the car, refusing to get back in, and I had no other choice but to follow her. Neither of us ever sat in that car again. Emmett drove it back to the house and I never saw it again, even though I knew it was still parked in the garage.

I asked Bella why she freaked out, since she always claimed it hadn't been my fault, and she said she finally understood what I'd been talking about. She told me she remembered the drawing I made in class once, where she'd been the driving. She could see it happening before her eyes as we headed down the driveway, even though I'd been the one behind the wheel of the car. She never pressured me about driving again after that. She only pressured me about getting better in a way that was comfortable for me. It was the good kind of pressure – the kind I appreciated.

By my eighteenth birthday it had become clear to my parents that I wasn't going to change my mind about the car, even though they'd been hoping I would. They thought I would eventually get over it, since they knew how much I used to love the Volvo. But since I stood my ground, they finally gave in and decided to trade it in just in time for my birthday.

I'd had the SUV ever since, even though it was over eight years ago.

I got behind the wheel but before I turned the ignition, I did my usual routine. I closed my eyes and took a few calculated breaths, mumbling to myself that everything would be fine. I didn't care that it was the end of August, so the possibility of black ice was pretty slim. I knew there was other shit that could fuck you up, too. It was all so fucked up that it took Emmett three years before he was comfortable enough to mock me for my "pussy-ass driving" – _his_ words, not mine.

It took a total of four years, two months and eleven days before I could also finally joke about the accident.

I don't think I ever saw Sparrow smile as wide as she did at that moment. It wasn't a good joke but that mattered little to her. I couldn't even remember what the joke even was anymore – all I remembered was her face. That might have been the moment that I knew for sure that I would really spend the rest of my life with her. She wasn't just another girl or another number. She was _the_ girl. _The_ number.

What could I say? I was a slow son-of-a-bitch. When we were still in high school, it was easy to be together. All we did was live in the moment, because that was all we had. But eventually we had to start thinking about our futures and what we wanted to do with them. We had to consider college and I was convinced it would mean the end of us, and it didn't soothe my worries when it became clear she thought that, too.

Mallory threw a graduation party for our senior class that year, which ended in the biggest fight Sparrow and I'd ever had. Even now, eight years later, it was still true.

We broke up that night.

We didn't talk for six months. She went off to college in Seattle to study psychology, and I went to Chicago to study… _nothing_. I just took a few different classes, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and failed them all except for one – an introductory class in psychology. Go figure.

I moved back to Forks and stayed there for about a month before trying my luck in Seattle.

It wasn't a coincidence that I picked Seattle – I might not have known what I wanted to do with my life, but I did know who I wanted to spend it with. _Sparrow_. Who else? I knew from the get-go that I didn't want to go back to college, but Seattle was a big city and I figured I wouldn't have a hard time finding something to do. _Said and done_. A week after moving to Seattle, I found a job at a piano-bar. I was paid to play every Thursday, and every other day I was just your regular run-of-the-mill waiter.

That was where Sparrow found me.

She'd gone out with a couple of friends to celebrate the end of their midterms and it just happened to be on a Thursday. They ended up going to my work place and I was so busy playing whatever classical piece they wanted me to play that night that I almost didn't notice her. It wasn't until she walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder that I was pulled from my trance. The moment I met her gaze, I knew there was no turning back. Six months apart was six months too many.

It might have taken me another few years before I realized that she really was my forever, but that didn't keep me from knowing that I wouldn't love anyone else but her. Even at 19 years old, I was sure about that.

I sighed as I pulled myself from the memory. I wasn't sure why I even started thinking about the time we had spent apart. That shit didn't matter anymore, now that we were together.

The drive back to the apartment was quick – only fifteen minutes, sometimes twenty five if it was rush-hour. The apartment was dark and quiet when I got home, something that was becoming a common occurrence these days. I threw my jacket aside before going to the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge.

I plopped down on the couch, taking a deep drink from my beer. According to the clock on the wall, it was already nearly ten thirty in the evening. Where the hell could she be?

I was almost done with the bottle when I finally got the answer to my question. I could hear the jiggle of keys on the other side of the front door. I walked over, taking the last sip of my beer as I opened it for her, smiled at the sight in front of me. Bella was holding three thick files as well her handbag, while jiggling her keys in the lock. She smiled in relief when she met my gaze.

"Hey," she said, sounding breathless.

I stepped aside, letting her in before closing the door behind her. I put my empty bottle on the nearest side table before helping her with her stuff. I grabbed the files from her hands and set them on the coffee table while she hung up her jacket and put away her bag.

"Long day?" I asked.

"You have no idea," she replied. She walked over to me, placing her hands on my chest. "Hi," she said again.

"Hi," I replied as I leaned down to meet her lips with mine. "How was work?"

"Exhausting, but that's not all." She nibbled on her lip, a sure sign that she was dreading telling me something, which made me anxious. We were probably the most pathetically co-dependent couple on earth. That was something that would never change. In fact, we might have been even worse now than we were eight years ago.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"Yes and no," she replied vaguely.

"C'mon, just tell me already."

"Fine. I have to go to Forks for a few days to help evaluate a case there."

I blanched. This would not end well. "Forks?" I echoed. "You really think that's a good idea? Have you talked to Kate?"

"Yes, I have, and she was the one who encouraged me to go. She thought it would be beneficial for me."

I scoffed. "What the hell does she know?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Typical you. You only agree with her when she's agreeing with you."

Kate had become a very good friend of ours over the years and, even though Bella never said it out loud, I knew she considered Kate to be her mother. She was partly the reason why Bella went on to major in psychology and ended up becoming a social worker. Bella was now working to help kids with similar – yet, not as extreme – pasts as she had. She dealt with abuse in all its forms, and now she had to go back to Forks to deal with a case.

"I want to do this," she assured me. "I think it can be good for me."

"Will you stay in Forks for the week?"

"I was thinking of staying with Kate in Port Angeles. I think we can deal with the situation from there since the kid's psychiatrist is located there, as well."

I frowned. "It feels like I haven't had you for myself in forever."

She smiled softly. "If I remember correctly, you had me all to yourself just a couple of days ago, and as far as I know, there were no complaints." She trailed her finger down my chest, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. It has been a long day."

She kissed me once again and walked away, so I followed her into the bedroom before slipping into the bathroom. She rolled her eyes when I started to undress next to her, but she didn't say anything about it. She knew I was going to join her in there. It wasn't like I was willingly going to pass up a chance to see her naked body all wet and soapy.

The mere thought made my body react accordingly and she snorted when she noticed.

"You're such a guy," she said, shaking her head with an amused smile. She stepped inside the shower and turned it on, yelping as the cold water hit her before turning warm. I bit the inside of my cheek when I looked at her boobs, seeing them react from the cold spray.

_So. Fucking. Hot. _

I licked my lips and took a step forward, but she held out her hand to stop me.

"No funny business, okay? I'm too tired," she said sternly. She wasn't a fan of bathroom sex, but that didn't mean I couldn't persuade her from time to time. From the look in her eyes, however, this was not one of those times. I definitely wasn't getting lucky in the shower today.

I sighed deeply in defeat. "Fine, but you better turn the shit to cold then. Because Edward junior isn't going down without a fight." I put my hands on my hips, as if I really had to put any emphasis on the situation going on down below. Her gaze shifted down until she locked eyes with the one-eyed snake, and I smirked when I saw her blush again.

"That thing is trouble," she mumbled, before turning her back to me.

I stepped in behind her and closed the shower door, trapping us and the steam inside. I wrapped my arms around her, and she leaned her head against my chest.

"I love you, Sparrow," I murmured in her ear.

She didn't say it back, but this time she didn't have to. I didn't doubt her feelings.

I knew for certain she loved me back.

x x x x x

A few days later, Bella went away to Forks, leaving me behind like the sad bastard I was. We didn't even have sex before she left, which marked the seventh day since the last time I got lucky. I wasn't like we were nymphos, doing it at every chance we got no matter where we were, but we weren't exactly prudes, either. Seven days without a visit to the holy land was a fucking stretch for us. What the hell was going on with her? She didn't seem stressed or upset about going to Forks, and stress had never kept her from ruffling feathers before. Something was up, but I was too chicken to ask her what it was.

I had more important things on my mind than worrying about why my girlfriend didn't want to have sex with me. In ten days, I would have to worry about why my _fiancé_ didn't want to have sex with me – or, at least, that was the plan. I wanted to propose to her on her twenty-fifth birthday, but I had no idea how to do it. I didn't want to do something too cheesy, but I still wanted it to be memorable. I wanted it to be _us_. I also wanted to top how she told she loved me all those years ago, but how the fucking hell does someone top _that_?

The answer is: _you don't_. Luckily, I knew someone who could help me out. Someone who knew her almost as well as I did these days, someone who remained her friend even during the six months that we were broken up.

_Mr. Jazz-man_.

While Emmett had encouraged me to go out and get some "fresh pussy" (his words, not mine) after the breakup, Jasper had encouraged me to contact her. He said I would never find anyone that would put up with my shit as well as she did, or for as long as she did, for that matter. His advice to me was to swallow my pride, call her, apologize and be the man she wanted me to be. I told him to fuck off, which in turn had made him ignore me for a month. I guess he didn't appreciate that I blew him off after everything he'd done for me and Bella. Sometimes it felt like he was a part of our relationship, too.

And dude, seriously, I didn't swing that way.

I decided to call him up during one of my breaks at work. I needed him to figure this out for me.

"I need your help," I said, as soon as he picked up.

"Hello to you, too," he replied dryly. "And the answer is flowers, preferably blue and white freesias."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm assuming you fucked up with Bella and need to break the ice before you apologize. You _do_ know that freesias are her favorite flower, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Fuck you," I spat. "I didn't fuck anything up, but I might fuck up the most important thing ever if you don't help me the fuck out!" In my defense, I _had_ managed to cut down on the cursing over the years, but sometimes Jasper still pulled the seventeen-year-old boy back to the surface, as if he did it to taunt me.

"And what's that?" Jasper asked patiently.

"I want to ask her to marry me, but I don't think fucking freesias will be enough to make it special." I had to fight hard to keep my voice even. There was nothing but silence on the other end and for a moment I thought the douche had hung up on me, but it turned out that it wasn't the case. He was simply stunned.

"Are you serious about this?" he asked, his voice neutral so he didn't show what he was really thinking.

"Yes, I am. I want to ask her on her birthday."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, _seriously_."

"Wow. Congratulations, man. I knew it would come eventually; I just didn't know it was this soon. I mean, it's awesome. Congratulations!" he said, sounding a little happier about it now.

"Hold your horses," I muttered. "She hasn't said yes yet, because I haven't asked her yet. And she won't say yes unless I make it perfect."

He scoffed. "_Please_. You could ask her in an off-hand way like, 'Hey, how about going to Vegas? We can gamble and get married,' she would still be all over it. She loves you. I don't think she cares about how you ask her."

"This coming from the guy who got turned down when he proposed," I pointed out.

"Yes, that's the spirit, Ed. Kick the guy who you're calling to help you. Real nice."

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm just freaking out here."

He sighed deeply. "Fine, I'll come by tonight after work. You're working the bar tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good, because I'll need alcohol for this crap."

"I owe you one."

"I've heard that before," he said, before hanging up.

x x x x x

Jasper threw back a shot, shuddering at the aftertaste. I wiped down the counter, pretending to look busy so I could talk to him in private. A couple of girls at the other end of the bar were looking at me and whispering, but I was too stressed and anxious to take advantage of the situation to get more tips. Money wasn't the issue here – getting my proposal perfect was.

"Do you remember that book she gave me for Christmas eight years ago? The one wi-"

"The birds, yes, I remember," he said, motioning for me to pour him another shot. "I was there when she bought it."

"Yeah… so, she made some notes in it, and the first time she told me she loved me she used that book. I want to make my proposal special like that, but not the same. I don't want to copy her or anything. She deserves an original proposal."

"She does, she does," he agreed, nodding. "How about proposing to her in Forks?"

"Yeah, because we have so many _fine_ memories from there."

"I'm just shooting you some suggestions," he said with a shrug.

"Looks more like you're shooting shots," I replied. "You're no fucking help."

He chuckled. "You're not getting it," he said. "I'm not supposed to tell you how to do this. You have to figure it out for yourself. Even if I come up with the perfect idea, it won't really be perfect since it's coming from me and not you. I can help guiding you but I can't give you the idea, because you have to find it yourself."

"So I should consider Forks the clue, huh?" I asked.

"It is what it is. It's not a clue; it's not anything. This is your proposal, your chance to make it right with Bella. Take the chance to dig deep and do something special."

"Did you drink before you came here?" I asked suspiciously. "Did you get high?"

He snorted. "No, I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night since Alice doesn't understand the meaning of time-difference. Just because it's noon in Paris doesn't mean it's noon in Seattle."

"Serves you well," I said, smirking.

"And it would serve _you_ well to serve me another shot."

"You better tip me well. I have an engagement ring to buy."

He held up his shot glass. "To you and Bella. You better not fuck this up."

He downed his drink and I poured him another one.

x x x x x

I went from store to store, looking for the perfect ring. I listened to countless salesladies, nodding and humming as they talked about princess cuts, radiant cuts, cushion cuts, trillion cuts, emerald cuts, asscher cuts – by the time they were done, I wanted my _wrists_ cut. I had no idea what the hell all those different cuts meant, nor did I understand why Bella would even care. A diamond was a diamond, right? What difference did the cut make?

I decided that none of the jewelry stores had the type of ring I was looking for. Not that I even knew what kind of ring I was looking for, but I did know that I hadn't found it.

I walked down the busy streets and just happened to pass a small side street. On a whim, I decided to take the turn and see if it was anything worth looking for in there.

There were a few stores, mostly small obscure ones – even one for secondhand designer stuff. I made a mental note to tell Rosalie about it the next time she was in Seattle, since she loved vintage things.

I stopped outside another small store – a vintage jewelry store. All of the pieces on the display in the window were old-fashioned and appeared to be almost antique. You could tell by just looking at them that they came with a history. I glanced briefly at the necklaces and then turned my eyes to the few rings on display.

My heart stopped.

There it was. _The_ ring.

A small gold band, with a slightly oval shaped diamond no bigger than quarter of an inch. The diamond was kept in place by tiny delicate strings of gold, making it appear as if the diamond was lying in a birds nest. At least, that was what it looked like to me.

It was absolutely perfect.

I stepped inside the store and the bell above the door rang as I entered. A small elderly woman came out from the back room, smiling at me.

"I'd like to buy the ring in the window," I said, pointing with my thumb.

"Of course," she said, nodding. She walked over to the window and reached in behind the display to grab the ring. I followed her to the counter but before she wrapped it I asked to have a better look. She handed it to me with a smile and I held the ring between my fingers to inspect it. I held it up, seeing the light reflect in the diamond, making tiny rainbows appear before my eyes. It was delicate, just like my Sparrow.

"She's a very lucky girl," the saleslady said.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Do you think she'll like it?" I asked, even though there was no way for her to know that.

But still, when she nodded, it helped calm my fears. Just as I was about to hand the ring back, the door to the store opened behind me. The sound of the bell above the door was muffled by the voice that suddenly echoed through the store.

"Oh my god, Edward!"

I tried not to let my cringe show when I realized exactly who it was. I'd recognize that shriek anywhere. _Tanya_. I hadn't seen or heard from her since I graduated high school and she'd been held back a year. Apparently being a slut didn't do much for her grades.

"Tanya," I said calmly, turning around.

"Is this the lucky lady?" the saleslady asked.

I looked at her, mortified. I wanted to yell, "Hell no," but at that moment Tanya spotted the ring in my hand.

"That's so pretty," she said, reaching out to take it from me, but I clasped it tightly in my palm. There was no way I was going to let her disgusting hands come anywhere near my eternal gift for Bella.

"Yes, I know," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, nothing," she said, tossing her bleached hair over her shoulder. "I was just shopping and saw you when I passed the window, so I figured I'd say hi."

I turned back to the counter, looking at the green velvet box that would soon hold the ring. "Do you have one in dark blue? It's more her color."

"Yes, of course." The lady beamed at the chance to help me make this perfect, and because of that I could almost forgive her for thinking Tanya was my girl.

"Getting engaged, huh?" Tanya said with a strained laugh.

"That's the plan," I mumbled. "As long as she says yes."

"Who would say no to you?" She giggled. "I remember back in high school – I don't know if you know this – but I used to have the _biggest_ crush on you."

I snorted under my breath. "Yes, I noticed," I replied dryly.

"Anyway, so who's the lucky lady? I heard you broke up with the Goose at the night of Lauren's graduation party. I guess that made sense. You guys were together for longer than what was natural." She laughed again. "I mean, seriously, what did you even see in her? She was such a loser. I wonder whatever happened to her…"

"Who knows," I said through clenched teeth.

The old lady wrapped up my purchase, and I quickly paid with my credit card. I found it to be a good thing that the ring wasn't cheap just because it wasn't brand new. I put the small box with the ring in my pocket and the old lady handed me my receipt.

"You're about to make a woman very happy," she said, looking me straight in the eyes. "That particular ring has good karma. There has never been a divorce where this ring has been involved."

I smiled at her. "I don't think I needed to worry about that in my case, anyway."

"Congratulations."

"She hasn't said yes yet."

"She will." The certainty in her voice made chills run down my spine – in a good way – and I wondered if she somehow knew something I didn't. Tanya followed me out from the store, and I tried to come up with a way to ditch her without having to resort to the douchey ways of my inner seventeen-year-old.

"How long have you known her?" Tanya asked. "Your girlfriend, I mean."

"A while," I replied vaguely.

"How long is a while?"

"Long enough."

"You know, we should have a drink or something and catch up on old times. I would love to hear what you've been up to since graduation." She touched my arm and bit her lip as she gazed at me through her lashes. It was ridiculous how little she'd changed in the past eight years. She obviously hadn't grown up at all. She was the same vapid slut, only with more makeup and marks on her skin from her horrible spray tan.

She wasn't beautiful at all. The seventeen-year-old me must have been both blind and stupid for managing to ever get it up for her. How the hell had I managed to sleep with her so many times and let her disgusting mouth anywhere near my dick? God only knew how many diseases she was carrying around these days. At least I knew she was clean back in high school – Or, at least I _assumed_ she had been since never gave me anything.

"I don't think so," I replied, trying to walk away from her.

She quickly caught up with me, stopping me as she stepped in my path.

"What the hell, Edward? We used to be friends. Why are you acting so cold?"

"You terrorized my girlfriend. You even sent her to the hospital. You treated her like shit. Is that a good enough reminder for you?" I snapped, not caring about being civil anymore.

She rolled her eyes. "That was, like, a hundred years ago, and we both know she wasn't _really_ your girlfriend… at least not in the ways that matter. You dumped her as soon as you graduated, which just proved how much she meant to you – _nothing_. I've forgiven you for how you treated me, so why can't you forgive me? She doesn't even matter anymore. I bet she even ended up married with one of the people at the rez. I bet she's busy breeding."

"Have a nice life, Tanya."

I turned my back on her and started walking the other way. Tanya was smart enough to not follow me this time, but before she was done she yelled, "I hope she realizes what an ass you are before she wastes her life on you! You haven't changed one bit, Edward Cullen!"

I clamped my fingers around the box in my pocket.

Oh, I had changed, alright.

I wasn't blind anymore.

x x x x x

I sat on the couch, just staring at the open box in my hand. The ring lay there on a bed of dark blue velvet, mocking me with what it represented. This was the rest of my life. My eternity. And even though I'd known for quite a while that Bella was the only woman in the world for me, I still couldn't help but panic a little bit. Getting married was a big fucking deal. I would be given a wife, and I would become someone's husband. How fucked up was that?

_There would be a Mrs. __Edward Cullen._

I closed the box as I reached for the phone. I pressed the number two on my speed dial and tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for the jackass to answer. After four rings and what seemed like an eternity, he finally picked up.

"I can't do this," I blurted out before he even got the chance to say hello.

"What are you freaking out about now?" Jasper asked, sounding amused.

"I bought a ring."

"Yes, that _is_ generally the first step toward a proposal. Proposing without a ring isn't nearly as romantic."

"Can you be serious for just a moment here?"

"I _am_ being serious. You're just going through the same thing every man does after buying a ring. It makes it more real somehow, yes? The idea of proposing isn't really terrifying until you get the ring. You feel like there's no turning back, because you bought it and now you have to use it. Otherwise, it's a waste."

"You're such a damn fortune cookie!"

"You sound just like Bella. She told me the exact same thing when I spoke to her last night."

"And what did you say to earn that shit from her?"

"That's for me to know and you to wonder, because I'm not telling. What she says to me in confidence stays with me."

"Is she keeping secrets from me? Fuck! She wants to break up with me, doesn't she? But she doesn't know how to do it."

Jasper groaned and I could almost picture him facepalming. "Duuude," he complained. "Do you think I would encourage you to propose if I didn't think she would actually say yes? Do you think I would push you toward this if I knew she wanted to break up with you? I'm not a sadist."

"No, but apparently I'm a damn masochist," I muttered. "What were you guys talking about? Is it something serious?"

He sighed. "She just wanted some advice. And, you know, you'd be surprised at how similarly the two of you respond to my advice. You know what my advice is? To _stop_ asking me for advice! Why ask when neither of you want it anyway?"

"Because we love you?" I joked.

"Oh, fuck you. Grow a pair and propose. I'll make sure to include this in my best man speech."

"Your best man speech? Who says you're my best man?"

"After all I've done for you over the years and all the mental suffering, I think the _least_ you can do is let me be up there with you when you say your damn I do's."

"So, you really think she'll say yes?" I asked, still feeling unsure about it all for no logical reason.

I was awarded with the sound of him hanging up.

x x x x x

On day three of Bella's trip, she called to tell me her stay would be extended for a few more days, so she wouldn't be back within a week as she'd promised. On day four, I was sitting in my black Volvo SUV, driving down the highway toward Forks. My bags were packed and held enough clothes to last for the entire stay – I had no intention of leaving without her. My boss hadn't exactly been thrilled when I told him I needed an unscheduled vacation, but he eventually let me go when I promised to work extra every night for two weeks after I returned.

I stopped by my parents' house on the way. My mom would kill me if she found out I'd been in Forks but hadn't stopped by to say hello. She was working out in her garden, preparing her autumn flowers, when I pulled up to the house. She stood up, smiling me as she wiped her hands on her pants. She walked over to me and gave me a hug. "It's so good to see you," she said. "This is a surprise, though. I wasn't expecting you. Does your father know you're coming?"

I shook my head. "Bella's in town helping out with a case. She's staying for another week, so I thought I'd come down and keep her company…"

She put her hand to her heart, and I could only imagine all the sappy things she was envisioning in her head. I was glad she didn't vocalize them – she'd done enough of that over the years.

"Where is she now?" she asked, glancing at her watch.

"I think she's at the school, She mentioned something about a meeting with a couple of teachers. I figured I'd go there and see if I can catch her."

"You have to come over for dinner tonight. Your father is getting off work early, so it would work out perfect."

"We'll see, Mom, we'll see."

x x x x x

Driving to Forks High and pulling into the parking lot brought back a lot of memories. When I saw Principal Greene's parking space was vacant, I couldn't stop my inner seventeen-year-old from coming out to play and I got a sick thrill from climbing out of the car. I acted as if parking in the principal's spot at twenty-five was something to be proud of, when there was nothing even remotely rebellious about it.

I locked the car and started toward the entrance. Once inside I realized not much had really changed; it all looked pretty much the same to me. I walked over to the front desk, shaking my head and scratching my cheek in amusement when I spotted the familiar woman sitting behind the counter. Apparently Ms. Cope hadn't retired yet. She looked up from her crossword puzzle and narrowed her eyes at me from over her glasses that were perched on her nose.

"Mr. Cullen, I thought I would never see you here again. What owes us this pleasure?" she asked, removing her glasses and putting them down.

"I'm just wondering if Bella is here… Isabella Swan? She was supposed to meet with some teachers today." The way she smiled when I mentioned Bella's name reminded me of the old lady at the jewelry store.

"Yes, she's here. Do you want me to get her for you?"

"No, it's okay, I can wait."

I walk over to take a seat in one of the chairs by the wall.

"Edward," Ms. Cope called. I turned my head to her, still seeing her smile. "You do know you parked in Principal Green's spot again, right?"

I smirked. "Old habits die hard."

x x x x x

I was in front of the school having a smoke, something I only did anymore to calm my nerves, when Bella came outside. She smiled widely at me. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she walked toward me.

"I missed my girl, is that a crime?" I asked.

"Definitely not a crime," she said, still grinning. She grabbed the cigarette from my fingers and threw it on the ground, stomping on it. Usually she'd comment on how smoking was bad for me, but she didn't this time – this time she settled on throwing her arms around my neck and smashing her lips to mine. Yes, I was _definitely_ marrying this woman.

x x x x x

We had dinner with my parents that night, just as they wished. My mom and Bella kept the conversation flowing by speaking what felt like a thousand words a minute. Mom wanted to know everything about Bella's work and how it was going these days, while Bella wanted to know more about Mom's current design projects. I mostly just picked at my food, too nervous to really eat anything. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep myself from popping the question until Bella's birthday – I was going to ask her before we even left for Seattle. When we went back home in a few days, we would either be engaged or I'd be utterly heartbroken. I knew realistically the chances of her saying yes were way higher than the chances of her ever saying no. She loved me and I loved her, so what the hell was I worrying about?

After dinner I decided to take Bella out for a walk, needing her all to myself for a while. The good thing about being with Bella was that our silence was comfortable. She didn't force me into having a conversation when it was clear what I really needed was time to think. She gave me space while still being close. It was a fine line that only my Sparrow could walk.

We strolled aimlessly for a while until we ended up at the last place I thought we would go. At the same time, though, I couldn't really be surprised, considering it was where it had all began.

I kicked a rock, making it bounce on the pavement before disappearing into a ditch, and Bella looked around at nothing in particular. The sun was starting to set, making the trees cast shadows on the vacant road. Bella closed her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose, and I watched her chest sink when she exhaled.

"I always liked this smell. The scent of woods and trees and grass and… mud," she said with a pleased smile. My fingers played with the box in my pocket as I smiled at her words.

"You like the smell of mud?" I asked skeptically.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" she replied, opening her eyes and shrugging.

We were standing on the empty street, at the exact spot where our lives had collided eight years ago. The place wasn't painful for me to visit anymore, even though I hadn't been there in years. I avoided the place, thinking I'd suffer a panic attack every time I tried to come near it, but as I stood here, watching Sparrow, I realized there was nothing to feel bad about anymore. It was the place where it had all began. It didn't matter _how_ we began, really, because the only thing that mattered was that we began _at all_. Which was why, at that moment, I decided to take Jasper's advice.

I was going to propose there.

I was sure it wasn't what he'd meant when he said I should propose in Forks, but it made sense to me. Hitting her with my car had been the best thing that ever happened to me, because it brought her into my life. How could this place _not_ be perfect in all of its imperfect glory? Our souls connected here, and now it was where I would officially make her mine. It made total sense – in a completely fucked up and backward way. I was sure when people found out about it they would think I was being completely morbid, but I didn't care. I knew my Sparrow would understand.

Soon enough, it was twilight – the perfect moment to do it.

As if on cue, Sparrow closed her eyes again, taking in the scenery with her sense of smell and hearing. All I could hear was the loud thumping of my heart, but I was sure she was listening to the birds singing in the woods.

Shakily, I got down on one knee. I had prepared a speech for the occasion – at least, in _theory_ I had. I wanted to tell her exactly how I felt. I wanted to tell her how lucky I was to have her in my life. How lucky I was to have found the only person in the world who could put up with all my bullshit. How lucky I was to have found the love of my life. I couldn't ask for more, because with her I already had everything I'd ever need.

I was prepared to tell her all that – just more eloquently – but once she opened her eyes and spotted me, no words would come out. The box was in my hand, but as if on its own accord my hand opened the lid and presented the ring to her. I tried to speak, but my tongue seemed to be glued to the roof of my mouth. I couldn't get anything out to save my damn life.

Her bottom lip quivered as her eyes welled up with tears. Were they happy tears? Was she sad? Was she horrified? I couldn't tell, because all my senses and every bit of logic I had shut down. I couldn't see anything that was in front of me. I was blind.

"E-Edward, wh-what are you doing?" she asked shakily.

I felt my own bottom lip quiver.

"M-m-marry me, Sparrow." A lone tear slipped from my eye as Sparrow gasped, putting a hand over her mouth when a sob escaped her. This was so not how I'd envisioned this would go. I was supposed to make a speech, damnit! I was supposed to make her feel special by telling her exactly how much she had changed me for the better, but instead I say it in a way that sounded like a command. I didn't even _ask _her if she wanted to be my wife – I _demanded_ she marry me. Leave it to me to fuck this up.

Sparrow met my gaze as she slowly moved in my direction, sitting down on her knees so she was level with me. "I have to tell you something," she began slowly, and I felt my stomach drop.

"Oh, no…" I breathed, closing the box. "Oh, no, no, no, no…"

"Shh, sweetie," she said, putting her hands on either side of my face. "It's nothing bad and I should have told you sooner but… I…" She frowned as she trailed off – it seemed I wasn't the only one tongue-tied. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I thought I was pregnant."

All thoughts of my proposal went out the window as I stared at her, wide-eyed. Did she just say what I thought she said?

"You're… you're pregnant? With a baby? A real baby? Pregnant?" I blurted incoherently.

She shook her head quickly. "No, no," she said. "I _thought_ I was, but Kate took me to the women's clinic in Port Angeles and it was negative. I'm not pregnant."

"How long have you been thinking you were?"

She shrugged hesitantly. "Three weeks?" she suggested, as if she didn't really know.

I gaped at her. "Three weeks? You have been keeping this from me for _three weeks_?" The moment I said it, something dawned on me. _Oh crap._ "But you told Jasper."

She looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"Because he told me you told him something, but he couldn't tell me because you told him in confidence. Then he told you something that made you tell him something that I also told him, which he thought was ironic." I was rambling incoherently again. I didn't even know what was up or down anymore. My brain had officially left the building, leaving me to fend for myself.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Just give me the damn ring."

"Huh?"

"Make me yours, dumbass."

My mouth twitched into one of the most awkward and scary-looking smiles ever, but she didn't seem to care as another round of tears fell from her eyes. Since she was smiling widely, I assumed her tears were actually a good thing. Her hands fell to her lap as I opened the box again, pulling out the ring. I looked her in the eyes as I took her left hand. "Sparrow, would you mind spending the rest of eternity with me, as my wife?" I asked her quietly, surprised that my voice managed to get out all of those words without failing me.

She shook her head softly. "No, Edward, of course I wouldn't mind. I'd love for you to be my husband."

I slipped the ring onto her finger. I hadn't even thought about the size, but it seemed destiny was on our side as it fit perfectly. She looked at her ring, holding it out in front of her, and we both watched as it twinkled in the glow of twilight sky.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and I hugged her tightly to me. We were both still on our knees on the cold ground, but neither of us seemed to care.

"Thank you," she whispered in my ear. "For giving me everything I could ever ask for."I smiled and nuzzled in her neck, breathing in the scent that was pure Bella. "I love you."

I smiled and kissed her skin. "I love you too, Sparrow."

x x x x x

"We need champagne! We need to celebrate this shit," I declared as I dragged her toward the grocery store, happy that it was still open at this hour. She giggled as we stepped inside. "Okay, how about this – you go grab your favorite kind of champagne and I'll go pick up something sweet."

"I don't even _like_ champagne. Remember New Years Eve in New York two years ago? I don't think I've ever thrown up like that before. Having you hold back my hair so I wouldn't get vomit on it as the clock struck twelve wasn't exactly romantic. It was cute that you did that for me, but I'd rather keep this night vomit-free if you don't mind."

"Fine, whatever. Pick something else, then. Pick cranberry juice if that's what tickles your fancy. I'll be right back." I kissed her lips quickly before running down another aisle.

I cursed when I couldn't find the canned whip cream but then something else caught my eye. _Huh, caramel sauce_. Yes, it would be sticky… but it was delicious, and I wouldn't mind spending my time licking her completely clean. I smirked and grabbed a tube before making my way back to the liquor section.

It wasn't like Bella and I experimented with food when we usually got hot and heavy – it was just something she'd mentioned not too long ago. After a party at Jasper's apartment, we'd walked home and on the way stopped at a place that sold ice cream cones – the creamy kind. Bella hadn't exactly been sober, but she hadn't been wasted, either. She'd been at that perfect state where she was happy about everything and verbalized every single thought that passed through her head. I'd been licking my ice cream cone and accidentally got a drop on my chin that ran down to my neck. She had noticed this and stopped, sticking her delicate tongue out and licking the trail up my throat and toward my lips. Then she kissed me, murmuring something about how good whipped cream-tasting Edward was.

Considering it was the night of our engagement, I was due for some caramel tasting Sparrow for dessert.

"… engaged! Isn't it so romantic? I wonder who the girl is."

I groaned when I heard the voice of yet another skank before I even turned the corner to the liquor aisle. I stepped around, spotting Sparrow standing with Jessica. I wasn't happy to see her, but at least it wasn't Tanya. Jessica was dressed in a uniform, holding a price sticker gun. I guess she never made it out of Forks.

"Very," Sparrow replied.

"Tanya called me as soon as she saw him. I wish we could've seen the ring. Apparently it was, like, super gorgeous. You can't help but be jealous, you know? According to Tanya, he's still as gorgeous as ever. I'm so jealous of the girl who got to him, aren't you? I bet you were completely crushed when you guys broke up. Are you dating anyone new?" Jessica was spewing questions at the speed of light. I was kind of surprised that she wasn't taunting her, just merely gossiping. I remembered that Jessica used to only be mean when in company of others, so on her own she was pretty harmless. Seeing as she was still stuck in Forks, maybe she'd been dying to gossip to someone about me. I bet there weren't many of us left here.

I walked over to them and Jessica smiled excitedly in surprise. "Oh my god, there he is!"

Sparrow looked my way and seemed highly amused when she met my gaze. "Hello Edward, nice seeing you again," she said. I smirked at her playfulness.

"Same to you, Bella. What brings you to town?" I teased, deciding to play along. It would be interesting to see how long it would take before Jessica actually caught on.

"Oh, nothing. Just picking out some sparkly… or, at least, _boozy_. It's a special night, so I'm celebrating," Sparrow replied, holding up a bottle of gin. "How about you?"

"Oh, nothing," I said, shrugging. "Just picking up some caramel sauce. It's a special night for me, too." I showed her the tube of caramel and her face turned red.

"And what are you going to do with that?" she asked nervously.

I shrugged again. "You know, a little of this, a taste of that. Care to join me?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her and she suppressed a giggle. "Come on, for old times' sake."

"But… but… Tanya said you're engaged, or at least that you were getting engaged," Jessica protested, staring at me as if I'd grown a second head. "I mean, seriously. We all know you were a manwhore in high school, but that's the past. You guys were a cute couple back then, _yada, yada, yada_, but that doesn't mean you can cheat on your fiancé! What's wrong with you?" Her face was turning red in anger, surprising me with her intense reaction.

"Breathe!" Bella urged and then held up her left hand. "I'm his fiancé."

Jessica gaped at the ring, then at Bella and finally at me. _Rinse and repeat._ It took a few moments before she collected herself enough to speak again. "Seriously? You guys are still together? But the last I heard was that you broke up at Lauren's party. How long have you been together again?"

"We've been together for eight years, give or take," Bella replied. "And tonight, Edward saw to it that we'll be together for eighty more years to come."

"Just eighty? Is that it? I want to live to at least one hundred and seven," I said. She rolled her eyes at me and I leaned in, pressing my lips against her forehead and making her hum happily.

"You guys are so cute," Jessica said. "Really, you are. I'm glad you made it after all the fuckery you two went through."

Bella smiled softly. "Thank you."

I guess time really did change some people, but maybe it was easier for people to change when they weren't that bad to begin with. Maybe it was easier to change when you found your own identity – even if that identity meant still living in Forks while everyone else left the nest.

We said goodbye to Jessica after that, paid for our things and left.

Bella hugged my arm as we walked. If anyone ran into us now, they'd probably think we were quite the sight. Me, with the caramel sauce and her, with the booze. My mind rewarded me with a mental image of what I'd want to do with the sauce after taking a swig of the booze. Or maybe we should leave the booze for afterward – I kind of wanted to be sober for it.

I leaned into her, kissing her temple while we walked. She turned her head so I could kiss her lips instead. "I know a place," she whispered against my lips, "where we can make this night even more special."

I smirked. "Show me the way."

She giggled again as she started pulling me down another street. I laughed at her exuberance and couldn't remember ever feeling so happy before. Who knew being tied down would give you such a sense of freedom? I was guaranteed to never lose her now. And if I ever screwed up enough to almost loose her, I would still be blessed with more time to try to win her back. I figured divorces took time, especially if one of parties didn't want to sign the papers. I'd be damned before I signed anything of the sort, no matter how much she begged me for it.

I didn't know what to think when we were all of a sudden standing outside of Forks High.

"Eh… Bella?" I asked, turning to look at her. She smiled at me, as if it made total sense in her head. "I'm not going to eat this shit off your body in the janitor's closet. There's where I draw the line."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be a douche. That's disgusting. C'mon." She pulled me toward the entrance, which was, of course, locked. "Damnit."

She nibbled on her lip for a moment, before another thought seemed to occur to her. "Come on, over here," she said, letting go of my hand. She disappeared around the corner of the building, leaving me no choice but to follow her.

She walked fast, her limp barely noticeable anymore. After years of physical therapy, she'd managed to almost get back to where she was before the accident. The doctors had said that it would probably be impossible for her to ever run a marathon, but she could still exercise as long as she didn't put too much pressure on her leg. As long as she kept to that rule, she'd be fine and her injury would never bother her again.

Bella stopped by a fire ladder, which was attached to the wing that used to be a restricted area. When I looked up, I realized exactly why she'd chosen the place.

"The music room," I said, nodding in appreciation. "Good choice."

She nodded and clamped the bottle of booze under her arm as she gripped the ladder. "Let's embrace our inner teenagers," she replied as she started climbing upward.

"You sure you wanna do that? I was a horny and hormonal bastard back then," I teased. She looked down at me with those brown eyes that hypnotized me every time and smirked.

"I'm counting on it," she replied huskily, before quickly climbing the rest of the way.

I didn't follow after her until she reached the right window. I couldn't really see what she was doing, but low and behold – after a second the window opened. I took that as my sign to go after her.

Soon, we were both in the music room. It was clear the area was still restricted, an even thicker layer of dust having settled in the room since the last time we were there. But I could also see a few footprints, probably from some rebellious student wanting to do something naughty – but hopefully not as naughty as I was planning to get with Sparrow tonight. I was going to do something we should have done a long time ago, right here.

"It's so weird being back here," she said, putting down the bottle of gin on the piano. I placed the caramel next to it as she turned to me, holding out her hands. I smiled as I took them and stroked the underside of her left ring finger with my thumb. "I'm engaged," she said.

"I am too," I replied.

"I'm going to marry you."

"And I'm going to marry you."

"Are you scared?"

"Fucking terrified. Jasper thinks he's going to be my best man."

She laughed. "He should be. I think he belongs up there with us."

"Who's gonna be your maid of honor?"

"Rosalie."

I looked at her with surprise – I hadn't seen that one coming. "Huh, I thought you would pick Kate or something."

"Kate's amazing, and I love her, but Rosalie did something for me that I'll never forget. She belongs up there with us, because we wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

I looked at her, puzzled. "What did she do?"

She smiled crookedly, tilting her head to the side. "She was there for me when we broke up." She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for something. "It wasn't faith or destiny that brought us back together, Edward. It was her. She told me where you worked. She even gave me your schedule. She was convinced that if we met again, there would be no turning back. We would end up together again. I just had to take the first step."

That was news to me. It hadn't been destiny – it was Rosalie.

"Rosalie, huh?" I said.

"Yeah. Rosalie."

"Remind me to send her a bunch of flowers, or jewelry or some shit. Better yet, remind me to send her one of those vintage designer bags. I found this cute little store tha-"

Bella quieted me by pressing her pointer finger to my lips. "Edward? I was asking for the horny and hormonal bastard, not the romantic and sentimental _girl_."

I smirked against her finger. "He'll get here soon enough, don't worry. He's going to take good care of you. I just wanted to say that I owe her, and she's going to be up there with us whether she likes it or not, because she _is_ the reason we'll be standing there. We need to throw her a fucking party or some shit."

"Mmm, yes, as good as that may sound, I think we should throw the party we came here to throw."

She took a step away from me, smiling teasingly as she started unbuttoning her shirt.

"Oh, Sparrow, you really shouldn't have said that…"

She backed up until she hit the piano and sat down on the bench, while I stalked toward her like she was my prey. My prey that I had chased forever, and who was finally mine. _All mine_.

"Do you still need to be pure, Sparrow?" I purred as I reached her. She opened her legs so I could step in between them and looked up at me.

"That ship sailed a long time ago, Cullen," she replied sweetly. "I've never been dirtier."

I smirked. "Is that so?"

"You should know," she replied, starting to unbuckle my belt in slow motion. I almost wanted to swat her hands away and do it myself, but there was something so erotic about having a girl take the lead. There was no rush. We had forever. When she was done, she removed the belt and tossed it aside. It skidded away on the floor, leaving a trail in the dust.

Ever so slowly, she pulled down my zipper and put a hand against my underwear, right on the very part of me that ached to be inside her. She looked up at me, tilting her head again. She looked so innocent. I put my hands on either side of her face, forcing her to stand up so I could smash my lips to hers. I didn't want her to go down on me – not this very minute, anyway. I wanted to worship her first, make her come so hard she'd forget her own name. She would forget all names, for that matter – all of them except mine. My damn name would be etched to her mind forever.

We hungrily devoured each others' mouths as I gripped her hips, lifting her up to sit on the keyboard lid instead. It was an awkward position and she almost slid off, but I kept her securely in place. I tugged on her shirt while she tugged on mine, and we let our lips part just long enough for us to get rid of them entirely.

She gripped the sides of the piano and before I knew it, she pulled away from me. I looked at her with confusion, and saw her hand was gripping the tube of caramel sauce. She looked at it while biting her lip, a habit she never really managed to break.

"You know what?" she said. "I prefer chocolate pudding, but I think this will do."

She removed the cap and squeezed the tube, making a point to look at me while she licked the amount that came out. I thrust against her by mere reflex and she giggled as she set the tube aside. I leaned down to kiss her again, my tongue swirling around the caramel sauce she still had in her mouth.

I reached behind her to unclasp her bra, and it was quickly discarded on the dusty floor as well. I palmed her perfect breasts, enjoying (as always) the relief when she let me, even though she never pulled away anymore. She never tensed up, enjoying this just as much as I did. Okay, maybe not _just_ as much – there was no way in hell this could be better for her than it was for me.

It had taken a while to ease her into the state where she was now. Getting her to actually enjoy sex without worrying about the pleasure not being allowed had been a struggle all by itself, but we could finally enjoy it together now. She knew that her pleasure was just as important as my pleasure – but to me, _hers_ was more important. She would always be my number one priority, even if it made me a damn pussy – no pun intended.

My hips were moving slowly against the fabric of her jeans, while my hands massaged her breasts. Her nipples were hard and waiting, the slight chill in the air making them stand out even more. I needed some damn friction and my hips started moving faster until I was practically humping her like a damn dog.

She finally had enough and pushed me away so she could get down on the floor. She pressed me down onto the bench before straddling me. With her hands on either side of my face, she crushed her lips to mine once more. I gripped her hips, grinding her against my crotch. I _really _needed to be inside of her.

I undid her pants and slipped my hand inside. Her panties were warm, taunting me with what they hid. I traced the lining of her panties and slipped a finger under them whenever I reached my target. A satisfied hum escaped her when my finger found its ultimate goal, sliding inside of her.

Slowly, I moved it in and out, but I knew my finger wouldn't be enough to bring her over the edge. It never was. My Sparrow needed more than that. Besides, it was still too early.

I wanted to savor this perfect moment, but apparently someone else was in a hurry. She removed my hand from her pants so she could stand up again and shot me a look. "You never play fair," she muttered. "Take off your damn pants."

"Yes, ma'am."

I loved how she started cursing when I'd cut down. '_Damn_' had quickly become her curse word of choice and it was fucking hot.

With our pants out of the way - now lying in the dust – she came back to me. I still sat on the bench and was buzzing in anticipation. I took in the naked beauty before me, unable to believe she was really mine. She was absolutely perfect and there wasn't a single thing I would change about her – not even the huge scar on her leg that was displayed like a long pink thread. While I once thought it was ugly, I now found it beautiful. The scar was a part of Bella – how could it _not_ be beautiful? It was also a part of me, because that was my mark. I'd placed it there.

She put her hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me back. I lay down, letting her take control. She smiled coyly as she straddled me and the bench, and I gulped as her legs parted. She was close enough for me to reach out and touch her and I was glad there were no panties in the way. She closed her eyes, her breathing heavy as I worked my magic.

One finger became two fingers inside her while my thumb worked the button that most guys didn't even know was there. Most guys would need a fucking GPS to find the right spot, and even then they would fail because they wouldn't know what to do with it. But I knew, because I knew my Sparrow's body almost as well as I did my own.

She slowly moved her hips to meet my movements, and her lips parted as she took a shuddering breath. There was nothing more erotic than seeing my girl being pleasured – as long as the reason she was pleasured was me. I loved knowing that I was the only guy that had ever made her feel this way, and as of tonight, I'd made sure that I would always be the only one. The first, the last, the only. The thought alone almost made me come. There was just something so damn primal about being engaged. Me Tarzan, her Jane, or some kind of shit.

She gazed down at me through heavy lids as a small smile graced her lips. She didn't say anything, but she really didn't need to. All of her unspoken words were playing out in her eyes.

She once again took control as she stepped away from my hand, and I all but whimpered at the lost of contact. I loved having my fingers inside of her and she knew that. She used to tease me that I had _penis fingers_, since I sometimes spent more time fingering her than I did actually fucking her.

She gripped my dick, shaking her head in amusement when my eyes rolled in my head and I groaned – _loudly_. It would never cease to amaze me what her touch did to me.

With my eyes closed, I let my body just… feel. Feel her hands on me, feel her move and squeeze and… _goddamnit_, was that her tongue? I peeked at her with one eye and damn right, there she was licking the head before bringing it into her mouth.

I squeezed my eyes shut and lay an arm over my face. I tried to keep completely still, even though my instincts were to thrust my hips in the air. But I wasn't going to fuck her mouth. Not like this and definitely not tonight.

Agonizingly slow, as if she were indeed trying to kill me, she pleasured me with her mouth. She never deep-throated me but I didn't pressure her about it, because she was exceeding any expectations with her tongue alone. I swear her tongue and her lips were a gift to me from God – or was it Satan? It was pleasure and pain all wrapped up in one – pleasure, because it was fucking awesome and pain, because it felt so good I could barely stand it.

She sucked gently on the head and I had to stop her right there, otherwise I would really turn into a teenager again and come way too prematurely for a twenty-five-year old guy.

She wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb when she pulled away. She stroked me with her other hand a few times before finally settling in to connect us. I was the cord and she was the outlet. It was time to make electricity shoot through our veins.

A satisfied – yet pained – noise escaped her throat as she sunk down on me. I guess I wasn't the only one dancing that line tonight. Pleasure or pain – was there even a difference?

She buried me inside her completely, and I gripped her hips to keep her still. I did _not_ want her to move right away, because I didn't want to explode.

"Fuck, Sparrow," I said through clenched teeth. She squeezed her vaginal muscles, clamping down on my dick for a moment, and she giggled at my horrified expression. "Do you want me to burst like a goddamn prepubescent bed wetter?"

She shrugged. "I didn't know I got a choice," she replied, smirking.

I held onto her hips as I sat up on the bench, so I moved a little to straighten my back. She rested her arms on my shoulders and played with the hair on the back of my head. Our naked bodies were connected; I was literally inside of her as she wrapped herself around me. But our bodies didn't mean shit compared to the connection we had when we just looked at each other.

"Fuck, I love you," I blurted out, unable to stop the words.

"Mmm… I figured as much when you went down on one knee in the middle of nowhere," she teased.

I lifted my hand to stroke her cheek. "Was it okay? I mean, I'd planned to make a damn speech and everything but then I just… I meant to make it special, but the words just came out and I…"

She quieted me by her lips to mine, and when she pulled back I saw there were tears in her eyes. "It was perfect, Edward. It wouldn't have been you if you would've done it any differently. Perfect." She kissed me again. "_Absolutely_ perfect."

"I'm going to grow old with you," I whispered.

She shook her head. "We'll stay young forever."

I leaned in to kiss her as I squeezed her hips and neither of us pulled away that time. She gripped my hair as we started moving together and I helped guide her movements at a pace I knew we both liked. Our lips were locked for as long as we could keep them, but eventually she pulled away. The most beautiful noises escaped her as she moved up and down, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. I leaned in to nibble on her neck and she rewarded me by tugging at my hair, the prickling in my scalp quite satisfying.

For a while, the only sounds that could be heard were our panting echoing in the room and the piano bench creaking slightly in protest of our movements. Eventually she started to move faster and I pushed her down onto my lap harder. Her breathing was coming fast and shallow, and I knew that could only mean one thing. I slipped one of my hands between us, trying to find that special place to rub with my thumb. Her body responded by my touch by letting her walls spasm lightly around me, but it would take more before she was officially over the edge.

I moved my thumb in the way I knew she liked and in our position, with her moving, it was a fruitless trying to suck on her nipples. That didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the view of her boobs bouncing up and down in front of me, though.

It was nothing short of a miracle that I hadn't come yet, and when her walls spasmed around me again I knew I was getting close. I wanted her to come first, but at this rate I was probably the one losing – or winning, depending on your point of view. Her movements became almost frantic, and I tried to match my thumbs movements with her rhythm.

There was another fucking spasm – and I was a fucking goner. My dick jerked inside of her, giving me the release I wasn't ready for, but I enjoyed it none the less. I groaned and leaned my head against her chest as her movements automatically slowed down. My dick wasn't limp yet so she could still enjoy it for a little while, even though I always found it a bit uncomfortable. My dick was not to be touched after I'd gotten off – but for Sparrow, I always made an exception. She was more important, after all.

When she was completely still, I took deep cleansing breaths for a moment to gather some strength. When I was fine enough to move again I wrapped her legs around my waist, making sure she was crossing them behind me, before standing up. I held her tightly so she wouldn't fall and with one arm around her back, I pulled the bench closer to the side of the piano. I put her down on the top of the piano before taking a seat on the bench. The holyland was right in front of my face, and it was time for me to do right by my Sparrow.

I looked up at her, seeing her face was flushed while she nibbled her lip. I didn't know if she was embarrassed or just out of breath; All I knew was that she would soon be a thoroughly satisfied woman.

I pressed my lips to her inner thigh and she leaned back on her forearms. That was just as well, considering she wouldn't be able to sit up for long. Not if I had a say in it, anyway.

Trailing soft kisses on her inner thigh, I eventually reached my destination. With my hand and tongue both at my disposal, I knew I couldn't fail. I had perfected this routine over the years, and I knew exactly what to do in order to send her into a post-coital coma.

It didn't take long to bring her as close to the edge as she was before, and I made sure to be thorough in my pleasing. I licked, I kissed, I sucked, I rubbed, I massaged, I moved, _rinse and repeat._ I could've stayed down there forever, but when her walls did their thing and her tell-tale moans alerted me of an impending orgasm, I knew my time was limited. I knew from experience she didn't want me down there for long after she had been thoroughly fucked – or fingered, for that matter. I guess I wasn't the only one who got uncomfortable sometimes when the body parts were too sensitive to touch.

Usually, when Bella came, she wouldn't really say or moan any real words. It was usually just noises, but that time she surprised me. Even if it might've been too muffled in her moan for me to be certain, I was convinced I heard her say "free."

I leaned back and placed my hands on her thighs, knowing it was safe territory. I rubbed soothing circles on her skin with my thumbs and smirked as she looked at me through heavy eyelids. _Goddamnit, I'm good. I'm a fucking god_.

"I think we finally got an answer to the mystery of life," she said, sounding sleepy but happy. I quirked an eyebrow in amusement at her weird comment. "I know the answer to what came first, the chicken or the egg."

I laughed. "That doesn't make any sense, but sure, go ahead… which came first?"

"The chicken."

"How do you figure?"

"Because you came first."

"I thought you were the bird?"

She shook her head. "I'm the egg, because you take care of me and make sure I'm not being crushed by the weight of the world. You've always protected me. An egg can't protect itself."

"Technically, the chicken is _in _the egg," I pointed out.

Her mouth twisted into a lazy smirk. "My point exactly."

I looked at her with confusion before I got what she was saying, and I laughed out loud. "I guess I really am the chicken then – a chicken that _thoroughly_ enjoys being inside the egg."

Bella shivered and I stood up to collect our clothes. I had to shake them in order to get the dust off. We got dressed in silence and when I zipped up my jeans, I spotted the tube of caramel sauce. I picked it up to show her – I guess we had forgotten about it.

"Ready for dessert?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

She nodded. "Only if there's a warm shower included."

"I think I can make that happen," I said, gesturing toward the window. "After you."

We were just about to climb out when we heard the sound of sirens. We looked out the window and saw no less than three police cruises speeding toward the school. We glanced at each other, grinning widely. "I guess we're busted," I said.

She shook her head. "They have to catch us first."

She quickly climbed out the window and down the fire escape, and I soon followed. When we were both safe on the ground, she took my hand and we ran as fast as we could toward the woods.

The booze and the tube of caramel sauce were the only traces we'd ever been there.


	2. Outtake: Life

This may be the cheesiest piece of writing I have ever written, but I couldn't help myself.

The piece is unbeta'ed, and will remain that way, I just wanted to write this for me.

I'm sharing it with you now, because I thought a few of you might enjoy it.

**_Thank you for reading._**

* * *

**Hit By Destiny**

**Outtake: "Life"**

**Edward Cullen POV**

I tried not to laugh as she twisted and turned in front of the mirror, but I'd be damned if it wasn't hilarious.

"You look like a cupcake," I said, not able to stop the words.

She glared at me through the mirror as she turned sideways. "Yeah, because it's totally my fault that these stores only sell clothes in pink and pastels with lots of lace and fluffiness. Urgh, I hate it." She tugged at her shirt, scrunching up her nose in disgust. I smiled at her.

"But you're still beautiful," I said, trying to appease her. I earned nothing but an even heavier glare from her.

"Save it," she muttered. "I look like diabetes waiting to happen."

I stood up from my chair, walking over to her and wrapping my arms around her from behind. My eyes went wide in the mirror and she looked at me confused.

"What?" she asked.

"I… can't… reach," I said, pretending like my hands couldn't touch.

Her confused expression fell and she shot daggers at me. I smirked.

"You're such an ass!" she snapped.

"Oh, c'mon, baby," I cooed, kissing her neck and resting my hands on her enormous belly. She tried slapping my hands away, but I stood my ground and kept them in place. She eventually gave up and leaned into my embrace.

"I hate this," she mumbled, sounding defeated.

"No, you don't," I protested.

"Yes, I do. I can't wear any of my clothes any more, I'm left to wear your stupid shirts and I even tried on your pants this morning because _these _are the last pair I can even button anymore."

I chuckled and kissed her temple. "Baby, that's why we're here. Besides, I love seeing you in my clothes… there's nothing sexier."

I rubbed her belly, relishing in the firmness and roundness. I couldn't believe we had created life, and that it was now living in there. I couldn't say that the pregnancy was planned, but it didn't mean it wasn't wanted. Bella had been freaking out ever since we found out and I didn't blame her. She was afraid that she would hurt the babies – yes, as in more than one – and that she would be a terrible mother. She was convinced that the babies would grow up to resent her. At first, I tried to convince Bella that she was being ridiculous, and nobody would love or treat the babies better than she would, but she wasn't convinced. Eventually, I stopped trying. This was something she had to deal with in her own time, and I couldn't force it on her.

She put her hands on mine and pulled them away. I sighed and stepped back, letting her get away.

"What about we skip the shirts today, and just buy you some pants? I mean, wearing my shirts isn't that bad, is it?" I asked, concerned.

She forced a smile at me and shook her head. "No, it's fine. You're right." She looked at herself in the mirror again, sighing deeply. "And buying these clothes is a waste anyway, because I won't be able to fit in them very long anyway, I'll outgrown them in a week. This was a stupid idea."

"No, it wasn't," I said.

She escaped to undress and I sat back down on the chair. I hid my face in my hands, taking a moment to collect myself. This was becoming unbearable; she was terrified, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was scared to, and I shared some of her fears. I was scared that I wasn't ready for the responsibility of being a father. I was scared that I would hurt the babies unintentionally because I wasn't paying attention. I was scared that I would fuck something up.

But I wasn't scared that I wasn't going to love them, because if there was something I was sure of, that was it. I was going to love these babies like there was no tomorrow, I would shower them with so much love. I was going to protect them with my life, and I would never intentionally hurt them. The babies would never have to experience the pain of evil parents like Sparrow had, and it would never have to experience the negligence of my own. We would pay attention, and we would raise the babies to become good people. We couldn't fail. We _wouldn't_ fail.

When Bella came out, she had two pairs of pants resting over her arm. She had left the rest of the clothes behind. I took the pants from her, pressing my lips to her temple before taking her hand. I ignored the looks the young cashier gave me, but at least she wasn't openly flirting with me. She was just looking and enjoying the view. Bella was too flustered to notice, which was uncommon. Usually she was the first one to notice when someone paid a little too much attention to me. Just like I was the first one to notice when someone was checking _her_ out. Which was too often for my liking. The years had been kind to Bella; she was more beautiful than ever, and others were bound to notice.

When we came home, she disappeared into the bedroom to change into something more comfortable, and I followed. My suitcase was packed and ready by the door, and hers were still open on our bed. The plan was to leave for Forks in the morning. I was between jobs, finally deciding that I didn't want to be a bartender forever, and Bella wasn't working either. She had worked five months into her pregnancy, but then she decided she couldn't do it anymore. She needed a break. The pregnancy left her too distracted, and she couldn't focus on helping the people that needed her.

Bella changed into a pair of sweats and the top she was wearing was hugging her belly in the most flattering way. I couldn't help but grin at her. She looked at me and rolled her eyes, but not even she could deny smiling back at me.

"You're beautiful," I told her.

"Considering how many times you tell me that in a day, one would think you're trying to convince yourself and not me," she teased. I held open my arms and she stepped into my embrace. She flinched and I looked at her in concern, she just shook her head. "They're fighting again."

I went down on my knees, putting my hands on her stomach and looking at it intently.

"Hey guys, be nice to Mommy, alright? Don't make me come in there," I chided.

She giggled. "I think you already did come in there," she joked.

"Oh, you're funny," I said. I pulled up her top over her stomach, and pressed my lips against her belly. She dragged her hands through my hair and I looked up to see her smile.

"You're really happy about this, aren't you?" she asked softly. I nodded, but didn't get up. "This is crazy… I mean, one kid is one thing… but two? What are we supposed to do with two kids? What if we screw up? What if they turn out bad?"

"Not gonna happen," I said firmly. "You're too good. You couldn't screw up even if you tried. Our babies are lucky, they have hit the parental jackpot."

"You're awfully sure about this," she said quietly. She put her hands on top of her stomach, just as the kids kicked again. Even I felt it. I smiled and kissed her tummy again.

"Are you playing soccer in there?" I asked the babies.

Bella snorted, and I looked up at her. "The flu," she muttered.

"What?"

"The flu. I can't believe we actually thought I had the flu."

I laughed and stood up. She was right, it was ridiculous that we had thought she had the flu when she was in fact pregnant. I remembered the night of my proposal and she told me about an earlier pregnancy scare. One would think we would pay more attention to the signs after that, but instead when the signs finally came we thought it was the flu. We had been engaged for five months when she started feeling weird. At first, we figured it would pass, but when it didn't, we decided to have her checked up when we were in Forks visiting my parents. My dad didn't mind examining her. I don't think I'd ever seen my dad fight a smile as badly as he did when the test results came back. I knew right then that it wasn't anything bad, but I was still too slow to connect to dots until he actually spelled it out for us.

"Congratulations," he had said, as he sat down behind his desk. I remembered gripping Sparrow's hand. "You're pregnant."

I had stared at my father for a split second before looking at Bella. She was staring at me with an odd mixture of distress and happiness in her eyes. It was as if she couldn't decide if she was happy about the news or not. I was just shocked, but as the moments worn on, a smile started tugging at my lips and I knew this was the best fucking news ever.

"We're… we're going to be parents," I had said in awe.

Her bottom lip and chin quivered and her eyes welled up with tears. Once the initial shock had subsided, she finally smiled. That was when I knew that this was indeed good news, and even though it wasn't planned or expected, this was still the best thing that could have happened. Ever since then, her mood had been a wild roller coaster with lots of downs and not enough ups, but I still knew in my damn heart that she wanted this just as much as I did.

A couple of months later, when we went to her first ultrasound, we found out that we were having twins. The first thing that came to mind when we saw the two little people on the screen was that I never did anything half-assed. If I was going to knock her up, I might as well do it thoroughly and put two buns in her oven to bake at once.

I gazed into her eyes, my hands on her belly, feeling my babies in there. She smiled softly at me.

"I can't wait for them to come here. I can't fucking wait to meet them," I said.

"Me neither," she said, putting a hand on mine. "But you need to clean up your language before they get here. I don't want their first word to be 'fuck.'"

I smirked at her, licking my lips. "Mmm… but it _is_ what brought them into this world. Without fuck, they wouldn't be here."

She rolled her eyes and tugged down her top. "You always ruin a good moment with your stupid jokes."

"Hey, who are you calling stupid." I laughed.

She looked down at her stomach, shaking her head. She mumbled something to herself, too quiet for me to hear. When she looked back up, she was smiling. I guess the roller coaster was on the way up again. I was hoping the ride would remain in that direction.

x x x x x

The next morning, I watched Bella sleep. She was sleeping on her side, turned to me. She had a hand resting on her belly, a soft frown tarnishing her beautiful face. Not even in her sleep was she peaceful. I sighed and scooted down a little on the bed, so my face was level with her stomach. I laid sideways, with my hand propped up on my hand. I touched her belly with my other hand, stroking it carefully as it was made of glass. It might as well have been, it was the most precious thing in my life. The three most important people in my life were currently residing in that one body. I would die before I let anything happen to them.

"Good morning, babies," I whispered. "Did you sleep okay? Did you lay off the soccer championship to let your mommy sleep?"

I had heard about people speaking to their unborn children, and I had always thought it was ridiculous. Why on earth would you speak to someone who couldn't hear you, let alone _understand_ you? I guess you had to knock up your woman to realize what it meant. To know that you had created life, and that it was currently residing in your girl's body was an indescribable feeling. The babies in there were a mixture of her and me, why wouldn't I want to talk to them? It was amazing how much I loved them without having met them yet. I knew they would be fucking perfect, and even if they weren't… who the fuck cared? Babies were always perfect. Any flaws they would end up having, I was sure they were going to get from me. All their good parts would be from their mother. Bella was perfect. There was no way that wouldn't be passed down to our kids. Either way, I would love them. They could be flawed beyond recognition, and I would still only see perfection.

Kid_s_. Sweet fucking Jesus, in a few short weeks, I was going to be a father of two.

A father. A dad. A daddy.

_Fuck, I'm going to screw this up so bad_.

I felt my throat constrict as the panic set in. It didn't happen all that often, because I wanted to stay strong for my Sparrow, but that didn't mean I didn't have my fair share of panic attacks too. How the hell was I going to be a father? Edward Cullen didn't do babies.

"I'm sorry," I told the babies in a soft voice. "If I fuck shit up, I promise it's not on purpose… it's just what I do… I fuck shit up. I even fucked things up with your mother. You guys wouldn't even be coming here if your mother wasn't such a forgiving person. She took me back even when I didn't deserve it. She forgave me when I didn't deserve it. She even forgave me for… you know what? I think you're too young to hear _that_ story. When you're old enough to understand, remind me to tell you how your mother and I fell in love… it's a fucked up love story, but with a happy ending."

"You really, _really_ need to clean up your language before they arrive," Sparrow mumbled sleepily, with a soft chuckle in her voice. I looked up, but her eyes were closed.

"Face it, Sparrow, with me as a father there is no way their third word isn't going to be 'fuck' or 'shit' or 'damn.'"

"Third word?" she said, opening her eyes. "What's their first then?"

I smiled. "Dada and Mama of course."

"I'm sure their baby books are going to be the first ones in history were 'shit' and 'fuck' have a very real possibility of ending up on their top five first words list."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. At least people will know they're mine."

She snorted, but smiled just the same.

Eventually, we got out of bed and had breakfast. While Sparrow took a shower, I packed the last of her stuff. A couple of hours later, we were on our way.

We were going to stay at my parents' house until the babies were born. At first, I had been adamant that would stay in Seattle and take care of everything ourselves. I had been sure we could handle it. But the more her belly grew, and the more real it became, I realized there was no way we could handle this on our own. Especially not since we were going to have two kids. One kid, we might have handled on our own, but two? There was no way.

My mom was absolutely thrilled about the pregnancy, and she couldn't wait to spoil her first grandkids. Emmett and Rosalie had yet to start a family, which surprised me a little. I had been sure that Emmett would have knocked her up before they graduated college. Rosalie wanted kids and that was no secret, so I wondered why it hadn't happened yet. Maybe they didn't want to start a family until they knew they could provide for one. My trust fund was the only reason I wasn't panicking about a better paying job yet, but I knew once the babies were born and we had settled into a routine, I would have to go out and find one. I needed to provide for the three loves of my life.

Mom must have been looking out the window, anxiously waiting for our arrival, because she was bouncing down the steps to meet us when we pulled up. Bella didn't even have time to get out of the car before my mom embraced her. Luckily, Bella didn't mind. She returned the hug just as tightly.

"I'm so glad you're here," Mom said, kissing Bella on the cheek. "Look at you. You're beautiful." She took a step back, holding Bella's hands in hers as she gave her an once-over.

"Told you," I teased Bella as I got our bags from the trunk. Bella rolled her eyes at me, before turning back to my mom. They started chatting about the babies as they started walking toward the house. I brought our bags up to my old bedroom, while they chatted away. I smiled when I noticed how relaxed Bella was when she was sitting in the living room, holding my mom's hand as they spoke. Only my mother had that kind of effect on her these days. It was probably a woman thing… or maybe it was a mother thing.

Dad was just as excited to see us when he came home from work. He and Bella disappeared into his office to talk in private. She had a few concerns and he was more than happy to talk to her about it. I guess having a dad for a doctor was a good thing. Maybe she would be more relaxed now until the birth, and hopefully not as paranoid and worried. With a doctor down the hall, she could get the answers to her questions right away without having to obsess about it.

My mom smiled at me as I helped her clean up after dinner.

"She is absolutely beautiful," she said. "I can't wait to meet my grandkids."

"You and me both." I smiled.

"Have you thought about names yet?"

I shrugged. "We've been talking about it, but we haven't decided on anything. We don't even know the sex of the babies yet, so it's difficult. I mean, we have to choose two boy names and two girl names… and then we have to decide which boy name and which girl name we like the most at the off chance that we get one of each. And that's just fucked up, because if we like one name more than the other then what does that say if we get two boys? I mean, one of them will think we don't love it as much as his brother because his brother got the best name. It's fucking frustrating. How the hell do we choose?"

My mom laughed softly. "Oh, sweetie, don't stress over it. Naming your babies is supposed to be a joyous thing, not a reason to give yourself an ulcer. Wait until the babies are born, then just look at them. Most babies name themselves. Did you know that we wanted to name Emmett Felix? But once he was born, we knew at first glance that he wasn't a Felix. He was an Emmett. He practically came with his own name-tag."

I smiled crookedly. "Do you think I'll be a good father?"

She looked at me, her eyes brimming with tears. "I can't imagine anyone better. You and Bella are going to be the best parents. There is no doubt in my mind."

I frowned. "But…" I sighed. "But what if we screw up? Fuck. With Bella's past and my shit, how on earth are we supposed to raise a baby… fuck… _two_ babies. We'll screw up, and they'll fucking hate us."

She shook her head. "No, you can't think like that. You worry about being good parents _despite _of your past, when in reality you should be thinking about how you will be good parents _thanks_ to your past. You have both been hurt, but Bella is one of a kind. Her parents didn't treat her the way they should have, and they hurt her beyond repair. It's amazing how far she has gotten, and I think it's because of her past that she will make the most amazing mother. She knows what she missed out on, and she will never let her kids suffer the same way she did. She will spoil those kids with so much love that they won't even know what to do with it. Bella has come such a long way, and you have too. There are no words to describe how happy I am that you guys are still together… and now creating new life. You can't fail as parents, because you are too aware of your own flaws to make that happen."

"I'm just scared, I guess," I mumbled. "I try to be strong because Bella is freaking out… but… it's hard sometimes, you know?"

"I know, sweetie," she said, stroking my back. "Being a parent is hard work, but it's so worth it. Just be there for Bella, and if you're scared, talk to her about it. You're not alone in this, and neither is she. You may try to stay strong for her, but sometimes she must stay strong for you too."

She was right, but I would feel too fucking selfish complaining about my fears when Bella was the one carrying the kids. What kind of right did I have to complain about anything? I was doing the easy part… although, seeing the love of your life scared and vulnerable wasn't an easy thing at all. Trying to support her was the hardest thing I ever had to do, because I didn't blame her for her feelings at all. If waiting for the kids was this hard – then how difficult would it be once they got here?

x x x x x

"Open it, open it, open it," Alice chanted, a few days later, clapping her hands together excitedly. Bella smiled and untied the silky ribbon around the bright pink box. She removed the lid and peered inside. "It's maternity wear!" Alice exclaimed when Bella looked up. "I know you hate the crap they sell in most stores, so I made you these. It's modern, it's hip. It's for you!"

Bella examined the two shirts in the box and I could tell by her smile that she was very pleased with the content. The shirts had Bella written all over it. They were exactly her style, and the only difference between these and her regular clothes as that they had been adjusted to fit her belly in a flattering way. Best of all? They were black and grey. Not pink or baby-blue. And there was no lacy or flimsy fabric at all.

"Thank you so much," Bella said, hugging the shirts to her. "I really appreciate it."

"I'm not done yet," Alice said, shoving another box in Bella's lap. Bella laughed as she opened the box, this one containing a dress in a midnight blue color. At first I thought it was black, but when I tilted my head, it was blue. It was pretty fucking awesome. Bella stood up and held it in front of her, and I knew that she would look gorgeous in it by just looking at it. It was going to show off her cleavage, which was all I pretty much cared about these days. Her boobs were huge, and I didn't mind if they were on display for me to see. As long as nobody else was looking.

"I was thinking you could wear it at the dinner tomorrow. Rose said she can't wait to see you. I told her you were huge, and she is so jealous," Alice said, giggling.

"Hey," I protested. "My girl is not huge. She's gorgeous."

"Whatever you say, Daddy-o," she said, rolling her eyes. She threw a small box at me. I looked at it confused and she smiled. "You didn't think I had forgotten about you, did you?" she teased.

I rolled my eyes and opened the box, smiling at the small pocket watch inside. I picked it up and opened it, noticing that it had left room for a picture as well.

"Since Jasper spent so much money on that fancy camera of his, I figured maybe he could take your portrait once the babies are born, and you could put it in there," Alice explained. "I didn't want to give you anything girly, and maybe carrying around a picture of your family is girly, but whatever. Pocket watches are timeless."

I stood up, and pulled her into a hug. "I love it. Thank you, Alice," I said.

She returned the hug and sighed in my ear. "Anytime, Edward," she replied.

"Speaking of Jasper, where is he?" Bella asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since he picked me up at the airport earlier. He's been acting weird for weeks, barely speaking to me on the phone, and I don't get it. I'm not stupid, I know that the distance thing has been hard on him, but I'm back now. I thought he would be happy, but instead he barely spoke two words to me before dropping me off here. If I didn't know any better, I would think he was planning to break up with me." Alice laughed at her own words, waving them away as if it was too crazy to even think about. Which, I guess, it was. There was no way Jasper was breaking up with Alice. For reasons unknown to me, he worshiped the ground Alice walked on.

I glanced at Bella, who was biting her lip as she looked down at her clothes in her lap. She was trying very hard not to smile. I knew that smile. She knew something. She glanced up at me and her smile grew. I quirked an eyebrow at her, silently asking her what it was. She made a very subtle nod toward Alice – who luckily didn't notice, since she was too busy texting. I raised my eyebrows and Bella nodded again. I grinned.

I guess it really was ludicrous to think that Jasper would break up with her – especially if he was planning to propose… again. I had a feeling he wouldn't be denied this time.

x x x x x

As expected, Bella looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress. It went down to right above her knees, hugging her in all the right places, and I loved how it enhanced not only her boobs, but also her belly. Most maternity dresses she had looked at in the store were lose and looked like fucking tents, but this was sexy and sophisticated. Bella wasn't one of those women who were embarrassed of her belly. She didn't call herself fat or some shit like that. So this dress really was perfect for her. I could tell she loved it too.

I drove Bella to Port Angeles, were we would be having dinner with the others. I was excited to see my brother again, I was even excited to see Rosalie. We hadn't seen them since before we found out that Bella was pregnant, since they lived in Rochester, New York, these days. And they hadn't been home in quite some time; both had been too busy with other stuff.

The others were already there when we arrived at the most luxurious restaurant in Port Angeles. Emmett got up from his seat when we approached, and he didn't pay me any attention at all. He was too busy staring at my very pregnant fiancé.

"Oh my god, what did my brother do to you? You're huge!" Emmett said, grinning so wide his face might crack. Or maybe it was the fact that he just called my fiancé huge that would make his face crack – because I wanted to fucking punch him.

He swooped Bella into a hug, but I could tell he was holding back. He didn't give her his usual tight squeezes. I guess he was worried about the babies.

"So how many are you having? Do we have another octomom on our hands?" Emmett joked, pulling out a chair for Bella. She smiled at the gesture and sat down. I took the seat next to her, which had me ending up next to Rosalie. I nodded at her in greeting, but she was too busy staring at Bella… correction, she was too busy staring at Bella's _stomach_.

"No, Edward only placed two buns to bake in this oven, thank you," Bella replied with a smile. I noticed how Jasper, who was sitting on Bella's other side, squeezed her hand under the table. He looked nervous. She asked a question with her eyes, but he shook his head. She sighed, but didn't say anything.

"You're radiating," Rosalie said. "You're absolutely radiating."

"Radiating? Try _gravitating_. She's like her own little planet. I'm surprised you don't have any moons," Emmett joked as he sat back down next to Rosalie.

Soon, we were all laughing and talking. We didn't even wait for someone else to finish before we talked. We all had too much to catch up on and there were four different conversations going on at all times, all muddling together into something completely incomprehensible for anyone who was eavesdropping.

I had really missed my brother and my friends, and even though we talked on the phone a lot and e-mailed each other, it was nothing compared to having dinner and actually talking to them in person. While we were waiting for our desserts, the babies woke up and decided to play soccer again. Jasper put his hand on Bella's stomach, trying to feel the kicks, and Bella moved his hand where he could feel it. His eyes went wide in awe.

"That's incredible," he said, smiling as the babies kicked again.

"Yes, especially at night when they like kicking my bladder or my kidneys, or anything else they have at their disposal. I should have known Edward's babies wouldn't be easy one me," she teased, looking at me.

I snorted and took a sip of my beer. "My babies are fucking awesome, thank you very much."

"Do you know the sex yet?" Rosalie asked.

Bella and I looked at each other, smiling. As a matter of fact, we did. The day after we returned to forks we went to the hospital for a check-up, and Dad asked us if we wanted another ultrasound. We had discussed the benefits of finding out the sex. I was still stressing about the names, even though my mom told me not to worry about it. I figured finding out the sex could be a good thing. We didn't need any more surprises. Having her get pregnant – with twins nonetheless – was surprising enough.

So, Dad had taken us into a private room, doing the ultrasound himself even though it wasn't his job. Then he gave us the best news ever – second to the news of her being pregnant, that is.

"A boy and a girl," Bella said.

"Really?" Alice said pressing her hands together and resting the sides of her fingers over her mouth, as if she was praying. Her eyes were welling up with tears.

I nodded. "I told you guys that I've never done anything half-assed," I said, leaning back in my chair as I smirked. "I didn't want to pick a sex, so I made both."

Bella rolled her eyes and slapped my chest. I caught her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing her knuckles. She smiled softly at me, appreciating the gesture.

"Have you thought about names?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah, we've discussed it, but we haven't settled on anything," Bella replied. "Who knew naming babies would be so hard? I didn't have any trouble naming my stuffed animals when I was a kid."

"That's because they won't resent you when they grow up if you pick a ridiculous fucking name," I pointed out. "I mean, with a name like Fluffy McStuffybuttom the kid is bound to get teased."

Bella glared at me. "You're never going to let that go, are you?" she asked.

"Nope," I replied. When we first moved to Seattle, she had brought a stuffed animal in one of her boxes from her parents' house. I had laughed for an hour straight when I found out its name. _Fluffy McStuffybuttom_. I wondered how the hell she even came up with that.

I leaned over to kiss her cheek, and I knew I was forgiven for teasing her. I rubbed her belly too, for good measure. When she met my gaze, I knew for certain that I was forgiven.

"I love you," she mouthed.

"I love you too," I mouthed back.

She placed her hand on mine, just as the babies kicked again.

x x x x x

"Are you okay?" I asked for the twentieth time in five minutes. Bella sighed, rolled her eyes and nodded. "You sure?"

"It was _one_ contraction, Edward," she said. "Your dad said they're common. I'll be getting them every once in a while the closer we get. It's nothing for you to get your panties in a bunch about."

"But are you sure you're not in labor? You sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital?" I asked.

She stopped pushing the cart, turning to me in exasperation.

"Sweetie," _damnit, she only called me sweetie when she was angry_, "trust me, you will be the first to know when I need to go to the hospital. Right now, I'm fine. Okay?"

I frowned. "Okay," I mumbled.

We were currently shopping in the new big-ass store in Port Angeles, they had the biggest selection of baby stuff I had ever seen. We had been here for over an hour, and we had yet to see it all. That might have something to do with the fact that Bella wasn't moving as fast as she usually did, and she was kind of wobbling forward like a penguin. I could only imagine the discomfort she was in.

We reached an area of the store were we could sit down, and I didn't even need to ask before Bella plopped down on of the benches. I crouched in front of her and she looked at me with tired eyes.

"I want them out," she said. "I can't take this anymore."

"Hey, it's Isabelle and Edward Junior you're talking about, a little respect would be nice," I chided teasingly. She rolled her eyes.

"We're not naming them Isabelle and Edward Junior," she said. "That would be like naming them… I don't know? Edbella and Isaward or something… ridiculous." She had been cranky for the past few days, and since I was such a lousy fucking person, I was kind of amused by it. She was always so snarky when she was cranky, and I liked her snark even though I felt bad for her being so uncomfortable.

"What about Skye, then," I suggested from the top of my head, as I took her hands in mine. "Skye is pretty, right? You're my Sparrow, and you live in the sky, so it's only natural if our kid is from there too."

She managed a chuckle at that. "You're so freaking cheesy, soon you'll be saying that our kids were brought to us by the stork, and that going into labor is just a myth," she said. "But… but yeah, I kinda like Skye for a girl…. It's… it's pretty." She bit her lip, and looked at me.

"Skye it is," I said. A lone tear slipped from her eyes and I wiped it away with my thumb. "What is it, baby?" I asked.

"Our daughter's name is Skye," she whispered.

I nodded, feeling my own eyes tear up. "Yeah, it is."

"But our son doesn't have a name…" She met my gaze. "I'm putting down my foot on Edward Junior… but what about Anthony?"

"Really?" I asked. "You… you would be okay with that?"

She nodded. "Skye and Anthony… I think we can work that."

"'Anthony, get down from there', 'Skye, don't use so much make up,'" I said, trying the names out in a parental voice. I smiled at my girl. "Yes, I think we can definitely work that."

I straighten up just enough so I could meet Bella's lips. I kissed her gently and she sighed in contentment.

"Do you want anything?" I asked, when I pulled back.

"I wouldn't say no to some water," she said.

"I'll be right back." I kissed her again, before standing up and walking toward the small cafeteria a few aisles down.

I had just paid for the bottle of water, and was turning around when I bumped into someone.

"Excuse me," I said, looking at who I had bumped into. My eyes went wide when I recognized the face. "Jesus fucking Christ," I muttered.

"Well, well, well, I didn't think I would bump into you here," Tanya said, smiling. I looked down and I didn't even bother to hide my surprise when I saw her resting her hands on a small bump. She couldn't be very far along, it was barely noticeable. She noticed this and smiled. "Yes, I see you noticed my baby. Isn't it incredible? I'm happily engaged to most amazing man in the world. He owns three big companies, a yacht, an island in France and-"

"Let me stop you right there," I said, holding up my hands. "I didn't ask."

Her eyes darkened. "You had your chance with me, it's not my fault you didn't take it. What are you even doing here? Did you ever get engaged?" She could pretend all she wanted, that she was happily engaged, but the bitter tone when asking about my engagement didn't go unnoticed.

"Goodbye, Tanya," I said, turning and walking away. I didn't want to waste my time on her. God only knew I had wasted too much time already.

Bella was standing up when I reached her, she was gripping the cart tightly and she was bending over slightly.

"Sparrow?" I quickened my steps and was with her in no time, I put my hand on her back and she turned her head to look at me. "Another one?" I asked.

She nodded. "This… this one was a little worse… But it's… over… I think," she said, wrinkling her nose in pain. I rubbed her back, in a sad attempt to ease her discomfort.

"Wanna laugh?" I asked.

"Sure, tell me a joke," she said.

"I bumped into Tanya."

She snorted. "She_ is_ a joke. Is she stalking you or something?"

I had already told her about how I had met Tanya when I bought the engagement ring.

"She's actually pregnant. Quite a sight. I pity the guy who ever knocked her ass up," I said, shuddering. She laughed, but it sounded strangled. After a few moments, she was strong enough to stand up straight again. I was still rubbing her back.

"Maybe we should go shopping again once the babies are born," I suggested. "We have enough stuff to last a few lifetimes, so we don't need to check out the rest of the store."

She nodded without protest, and we made our way toward the check-out. Bella groaned when we got there, and it didn't take long for me to realize why. Tanya was standing by the only open check-out counter, having her stuff rung up. Tanya glanced at me, then at Bella, then her eyes went huge. She dropped the stuffed animal she was holding. She stepped over to us, ignoring the fact that she cashier was waiting for her to pay.

"This is sweet," Tanya said, and I wondered who she thought she was fooling with her 'friendliness.' "It's nice to see you two can still be friends considering everything."

It took all of my self-control not to snap at her. Bella had told me that there was no use in fighting the past, and that would be exactly what I would be doing.

Fighting the past – because Tanya _was _the past.

I sighed. "I'm not getting into this with you," I said.

Tanya scoffed, then looked at Bella. "Who knocked up, honey? Someone at the rez? I heard you liked the dogs there," she said. "Did you ever get a chance to see something outside of Forks? Or is this like, an exception for you? Visiting the fancy Port Angeles. Must be a nice change from the rez. Last I heard was that Edward was engaged, isn't that wonderful, don't you think? I'm so sad you guys didn't work out." Bella looked at Tanya like she was nothing but gum on her shoe, which spurred Tanya on even more. "I, for one, am happily engaged with the perfect man. He gives me everything I want and I couldn't be happier. Our little bundle of joy is exactly what we needed to make everything perfect." She patted her stomach then glanced at Bella's. "Pregnancy hasn't been very good on you, has it?" She giggled. "How much have you gained? I've only gained a few pounds, and it's all on my stomach. No extra fat. How are you going to handle being a single mother?"

Bella sighed, and much to my surprise – she _smiled_.

"I won't have to worry about that," Bella replied sweetly. "I'm sure my soon-to-be husband is going to take good care of us."

Tanya glanced at Bella's left hand and snorted. "But you're not even wearing a ring. You're so full of it."

Bella sighed again, and I knew this wasn't going to end well.

"C'mon, let's leave. Let's not waste our energy here," I pleaded with her. "She's not worth it."

But Bella wasn't having it. Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe it was the fact that she was tired of girls like Tanya always wanting to ruin someone's life. But Bella snapped – she snapped real good. Bella showed Tanya the necklace she was wearing. Right next to the crystal sparrow, that I gave her all those years ago, was her engagement ring.

"I haven't been able to wear my ring for the last few months because my fingers swelled," Bella explained. "Pregnancy tends to do that to you, and I can assure you that you will be gaining your fair share of pounds before your pregnancy is over." Tanya snorted, but Bella wasn't done yet. "I have never lived on the reservation, and I have no plans of ever stepping my foot there ever again. I live in Seattle, with my fiancé, but we're currently living at his parents' house until the babies are born."

Tanya narrowed her eyes. "Babi_es_?"

"Yes, I'm having twins," Bella said, her voice venomous. "Is there anything else you want, or can you finally leave us the hell alone? High school is over, Tanya, it's time to grow the fuck up."

Tanya looked at me. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that?"

"C'mon, Sparrow, let's go home, otherwise the babies are going to be born right here because they want to escape from her. Being this close to her can't be good for them."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Bella said, finally ignoring Tanya as she pushed the cart toward the cashier. Tanya stared at us, obviously forgotten that she still hadn't paid for her stuff.

I ignored her glares, and kissed Bella's temple. Bella smiled, and I felt her relax.

Something told me that she had been waiting for that one final confrontation. To show Tanya, and everyone else, that she made it out okay, and that she wasn't a victim anymore.

"Excuse me, miss," the cashier said to Tanya. "Are you going to pay?"

Tanya huffed and walked back, and we ignored her as we unpacked the cart that we had filled with stuff for our kids. When Tanya had packed her bags, she looked back at us as the cashier rung up our things.

"Just tell me _one_ thing," Tanya said to Bella, no animosity in her tone. "Just fucking tell me who the father is." Tanya sounded tired, and we both looked at her. Being a bitch must be tiresome work.

"I am," I replied in Bella's place. "And I couldn't be happier."

Tanya didn't look surprised, she didn't look disappointed. She simply looked empty.

"Yeah, I figured," she muttered, before she turned her back on us and walked out.

Bella shook her head and looked up at me.

"That girl will never be happy," she said. "She can't be happy unless someone else is miserable, and the older she gets, the harder it will be to have people listen to her, let alone care about anything she has to say. She is going to end up alone."

I stroked her back and shrugged. "It's not our problem, it's her own fault she never left high school. In her head, life is high school, and she is never graduating."

I kissed her temple again as we made our way toward the car.

I returned the cart once we had put all the stuff in the car. When I walked back, I found Bella still standing next to the trunk, resting one of her hands on it. I looked at her with a smile.

"What now?" I asked, leaning in to kiss her chastely on the lips.

She looked at me with a sheepish expression. "Mind if we make another stop before we go home?"

"Sure, where to?"

"The hospital. I think my water just broke."


	3. Outtake: High School Reunion

**Hit By Destiny**

**Outtake: "High School Reunion"**

**Isabella Swan POV**

"Crap."

"Language."

Edward glared at me, but I continued folding laundry with a soft smile gracing my lips, pretending to be clueless to his current frustration. As if ironing a shirt was that hard.

The babies were sound asleep in their beds and we could hear them through the baby monitor that was currently resting on top of the dryer. Anthony made the cutest sounds in his sleep. Edward once told me he never thought he'd meet anyone that he would love more than me – but then these babies were born. He didn't need to say out loud that he would sacrifice everything for them, because that was evident in his eyes. He would sacrifice_ me_ if that meant keeping the babies from harm. I loved him even more for that.

When we were done in the laundry room, we stepped outside for a moment, enjoying the fresh forest air. It was only May, Summer hadn't quite reached Forks yet.

"I never thought I'd miss Forks," I said, leaning back against Edward's chest. "But I miss these woods. I miss the smell of rain and trees. I miss the wilderness and the chance of seeing wild animals by simply looking out the window. It's kind of exotic, don't you agree?"

He snorted, shaking his head.

"There's nothing exotic about Forks, Sparrow, but I get your point. Do you want to move back?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No, I like Seattle."

"Good, because I'd die if I had to spend my eternity here. There's nothing to do. Even a two week vacation is pushing it."

I snickered, and he wrapped his arms tighter around me.

"I can't believe it's been ten years already," I said. "Ten years since high school. Unbelievable."

"Believe it," he said, kissing my head. "We made it out alive."

"I'm glad your parents decided not to go for a pool," I said randomly as I gazed out over the back yard. "It would've completely ruined the view." He laughed, kissing my head again.

We were spending two weeks in Forks and we were staying at Edward's parents house – in Edward's old room. This way we could get some time off the busy city as well as letting our babies meet their only grandparents. Since Carlisle and Esme barely had time to visit us in Seattle, which was why we decided to stay a while.

Also – the high school reunion that Edward and I had both been notified about just happened to take place during this time. Jessica Stanley (or did she ever become Mrs. Newton?) had orchestrated the whole thing. Since I no longer held a grudge against my high school experience, realizing I probably made it harder than it had to be during my years there, I thought it'd be fun to go. Edward, on the other hand, was as skeptical as they come. He saw no reason why we would ever go back to celebrate our high school years.

Edward's parents were going to watch the twins for the first time alone; I had faith they'd do great.

We stepped back inside, walking over to sit down in the living room. The fact that the babies were quiet for more than thirty minutes at a time for once was a miracle. Maybe it was the fresh forest air that did them in. Our babies were amazing, make no mistake, but god damn it if they didn't scream bloody murder as soon as we left the room – even though they were asleep. It was as if they had some built-in sensor for whenever their parents in their immediate vicinity. It was nothing short of ridiculous, and it had been the cause of many tears on my part. As if I wasn't sleep deprived already, it didn't help when they kept screaming and refused to calm down. The only one who would ever calm them down was Emmett – which was odd all in itself. Most babies cried in his presence; believe me, I had experienced it first hand when eating out with him. But not Anthony or Skye. They both relaxed the moment they heard Emmett's voice – which was one of the reasons Edward had recorded a lullaby for the twins, where he had forced Emmett to sing along with it. His singing voice was awful to say the least, but it was the only thing making the babies fall asleep – _and stay asleep_.

"Do you think Em and Rose will be there?" I asked. Edward shrugged. Neither of us had spoken to Emmett in forever; he and the missus had been travelling around the world for the past couple of months, so it was difficult getting a hold on them since their cell phones weren't always working. We had to rely on good old social media, where they uploaded pictures of their adventures whenever they got the chance. Envy was Edward's middle name, because I knew that if it weren't for the kids, he'd love to travel the world too. I always told him that we would eventually, as soon as the kids were a little older.

"I doubt it," he said eventually. "Last thing I heard, they were in Greece or something, or was it Egypt? Anyway, I doubt they'll come back for a simple reunion. How fucking ridiculous is that anyway?" I knew what he was referring to – the fact that there were three reunions taking place at the same time, the year before us, our year and the year after us. Probably because not enough people wanted to participate, and because it'd be too expensive to have three separate parties.

"I miss them," I said, sighing. "I hope Jasper and Alice will be there. I wonder how many we'll be."

"I bet plenty of bitches will be there," he muttered.

"Why so?"

"Because the ones that come want to show off how good time has treated them, and how good they're doing. Successful bitches and all that shit, and they want people to know it," he said, rolling his eyes. I laughed.

"Well, considering this is Forks, what are the odds that more than maybe two per class has been successful in the last ten years?"

"Touché, Sparrow, touché."

He touched my cheek softly and I leaned into his touch, smiling in contentment. I loved him so much my heart ached. Every now and again, I felt afraid I'd lose this feeling, that I'd stop loving him for one reason or another. Then there were times like this, when I couldn't be more sure of my love for him. He was my life, forever and always.

"We should get another kid," he said.

I snorted.

"It's only been six months since I pushed not one, but _two_ babies out of my vagina. I think I'm gonna pass on pushing out another one any time soon," I replied, shaking my head to show that he was crazy. He laughed.

"But your pussy is still all stretched out and ready for a baby right now. Let's do it before it snaps back," he argued.

I slapped his chest.

"Hey! My pussy is not all stretched out," I muttered in offence.

He laughed and pressed his lips to my hair.

"I'd love to have a bunch of kids with you," he murmured, his lips still by my hair. "I'd have you constantly pregnant if I could. You've never been more beautiful than when you had our babies in your belly. You glow like no other. Being a mother suits you very well."

I blushed, guessing I'll never get used to his declarations of love.

"I envy our babies for having the best mom ever," he added. I rolled my eyes, turning my head up to meet his lips.

"I think _your _pussy is all stretched out," I joked. "I wonder if they'll have a prize for that at the reunion." I scratched absentmindedly at my leg, and I noticed him looking and smiling crookedly.

"Then your leg should win the prize for shittiest thing ever," he said.

I looked away from him, knowing it to be true. Lately, my leg had started to bother me again, especially when it was cold out. The pregnancy had probably put that extra pressure on my leg that the doctors had told me to avoid, and now I was paying the price for it. I guess Carlisle had been right all along when he told us ten years ago that I'd never be able to run again – I could barely even jog right now.

"Hey," I said, nudging Edward as I saw in his eyes that he was obsessing again. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"_That_. Being all Emoward. Stop." I sighed deeply. "It could be a lot worse, I could have ended up in a wheelchair. At least I can still walk."

"Yeah, but for how long?"

"Shush you, stop that negative attitude. We both know it won't get you anywhere."

Just to make a point, I stood up from the couch and walked confidently toward the stairs. I hoped he didn't notice how much focus it required.

xXx

I put the finishing touches on my hair, before applying some lipgloss top my lips. I turned to Edward for an inspection.

"I'm gorgeous, aren't I?" I teased. He nodded.

"You are, as always. Are you excited?"

"I am. Weird, isn't it?"

He nodded. "But it's okay. You just have to accept that I won't share your excitement. I'm only going because you want to go, okay?"

I nodded and grabbed my purse. I was dressed in a nice pair of dress pants, that were boot cut, and a tight and trendy blue blouse. Alice had designed it. I knew Edward loved it because it gave me an awesome cleavage. My sparrow necklace was secure around my neck; I never took it off.

We went downstairs, where we found Esme and Carlisle with the kids.

"I'm so glad you guys got two of these," Esme said, kissing Anthony's cheek. "Now we won't have to fight whose time it is to cuddle with our grandchild."

We all laughed and I stepped over to say goodbye to the kids. I murmured declarations of love, and was treated with my babies' most beautiful smiles. I was going to miss them, even if we were only going to be gone for a few hours.

Carlisle and Esme assured they'd call if something happened, and they would text out throughout the night to update us. They knew how much we needed a night off, but they also knew how difficult it would be. It took us almost half an hour to say goodbye, eventually they had to push us out the door.

I drove us to Forks high, because I wouldn't be drinking.

When we got there, I nodded in appreciation at the decorations. There were lights and banners decorating the main entrance, welcoming us all back. It was going to be interesting to see what the school looked like nowadays. How much had changed in ten years? I hadn't seen much of the school the last time we were here – that time we snuck into the music room to get laid.

We walked up the steps to the entrance, recognizing a lot of people on the way. A few people were standing outside, smoking and laughing, catching up on old memories. They nodded in greeting as we passed them, almost in respect.

Making our way through the hallway, toward the new cafeteria, brought back a few memories even though the place looked nothing like old times. There had been quite a lot of changes made in the past few years. The lockers had been replaced, and the wall re-painted. It looked new.

The party was taking place in the new cafeteria – which, according to rumor, was almost twice as big as the last one. There were more than twice as many students going here than when we were kids, so the changes had been necessary.

The rumors hadn't been wrong.

We entered the cafeteria, taking it all in. There was a small stage at the other side of the room, another banner was hanging over it. The room was sparsely decorated, but there were table cloths on the tables, and flower arrangements. Jessica and her team had done what they could with what they had. It looked nice.

We walked through the room, toward the floor-to-roof windows that covered two out of the four walls. It brought in a lot of light, and it made the room appear even larger. Outside, we got a perfect view of the new gymnasium as well as the forest and a small park.

"I'm impressed," Edward admitted.

"Enough to move back?"

He snorted. "Not even close."

I looked over my shoulder, only now noticing the people here. The ones from our year, glanced at us but looked away when they caught me looking at them. It was as if they were afraid of us, they didn't dare to come forward and say hello.

At that moment, a pair of very familiar faces showed up.

"Alice!" I called out. Alice and Jasper spotted us. Alice ran over to us and wrapped me into a hug.

"God, I've missed you guys," Alice said, letting me go. "Why do you never visit us in New York?"

"Because we have two little ones to take care of," Edward replied, hugging her.

I gave Jasper a long hug; I had missed him even more.

"How are the little ones?" Alice asked. "I have presents for them in the car. You'll love them!"

She gestured wildly with her hands and something sparkled on her finger. A smile grew on my lips and I looked at Jasper, he met my gaze. I gave him a look, which he was able to read immediately. I smiled even wider as he nodded at my unasked question.

I hugged him again, this time with a little more force.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" I said, letting go of Jasper so I could hug Alice instead.

"What the fuck is going on?" Edward asked, sounding confused.

"They're engaged!" I said, grabbing Alice's hand to show Edward. "Look! Finally!"

"It took three tries, but eventually she said yes," Jasper said, sounding not the least bit bitter about being turned down two times. "I guess being persistent pays off."

More congratulations and hugs were exchanged, and Alice had never looked happier. She told us all about the proposal, telling us she had wanted to tell us sooner, but she thought this would be funnier. As she spoke, I got the feeling someone was watching, and every time I turned my head, there was someone there, turning their head away at the same second. People were really watching us – but still, nobody had dared to approach us.

"_One, two, one, two, is this thing on_?" A voice echoed through the room through the speakers, and we all turned to look toward the stage, where the woman of the hour was standing._ Jessica_. "Great," she said. "Now, if everybody could just find their seats, that'd be great. We don't have assigned seats, but it would be nice if you tried shake things up a bit. Find an old friend."

People started moving around quickly and I looked at Alice.

"Are you an old friend?" I asked, she nodded and hooked my arm.

"Then I guess you're mine," Jasper said to Edward. They both chuckled.

We found an empty table and sat down. All tables were round with room for six. People milled around for a moment, until most had settled down.

"In a few minutes, our awesome staff will bring out the food for everyone. A three course meal, of course, and while we're eating you're more than welcome to come up here on stage to make a speech. We encourage people to tell us what they've been up to. At the end of the night, we'll also have a prize ceremony. Outside, in the hallway, there are a couple of voting booths, where you can leave your votes in the different categories. The polls will close at nine and we'll count the votes and present the winners at ten. I hope you guys have a magical night." Jessica was awarded with an echoing round of applause and she curtsied, before leaving the stage and taking a seat by one of the tables closest to the stage.

"Wow," a voice boomed. "Have you guys missed us so much that you applaud us for showing up? You shouldn't have…"

We all turned our heads toward the entrance, and the people at my table all burst into wide smiles. Emmett and Rosalie showed up after all!

"So where's my lil'bro and the momma of my nephew and niece?" he continued, his voice loud. He scanned the room, unable to spot us – or maybe he was just pretending. "And where is that awesome photographer and his awesome fashion designer of a girlfriend?" I looked at Edward and rolled my eyes. Now, Emmett was just being ridiculous. Was he trying to be funny?

Jasper pushed his chair back, standing up. "His _fiancée_," he corrected loudly.

"Hey dude!" Emmett called back. "Remember your sister, the very successful entrepreneur?" He slapped his arm around Rosalie's shoulders, pulling her to his side. Rosalie slapped his chest, not looking even slightly amused by him. They finally made their way toward our table, and we all hugged. I guess hugging was our thing tonight.

They sat down, and the gang was finally back together.

The food was brought in, and our table was busy with talking. We kept interrupting each other, and talking while someone else was in the middle of telling a story. We laughed. A lot. I got the feeling that we were the happiest table in this place. We laughed louder than anyone else and we had a lot to catch up on.

While people were finishing the main course, Alice pushed her chair back.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Alice said. "Join me, ladies."

We kissed our men goodbye, making our way through the cafeteria. I felt like royalty, walking with the two most beautiful girls in the room, having people follow us with their eyes. In the hall, a group of people were milling by the voting booths. I wondered what kind of categories we'd be voting for.

We disappeared into the girls' bathroom, noting that it had gotten quite a makeover as well, with new booths and sinks. Alice disappeared into a booth, while Rose and I stood by the big mirrors, checking our reflections. Rosalie fluffed her hair and re-applied her lipgloss.

One of the booths opened, and a woman that I remembered being in the class below us came out. She washed her hands in the sink next to me, she met my gaze through the mirror.

"Finally, a goose becomes a swan, am I right?" she said, laughing lightly with a voice soft as if she was simply making an innocent joke. She smiled, as if what she just said was absolutely okay, as if we had been friends. I didn't even know her name, I only recognized her as someone who used to mutter Goose in the hallway just like everybody else.

"Excuse me?" I said, seeing Rosalie glare at her as well. The woman's smile faltered.

"What? I was just joking," she said. "I just meant you look good. Like _really_ good."

"So you tell me that by calling me a goose?" I turned my body to her, staring her down.

"I didn't! I called you a swan!" she argued.

"But you did it as a backhanded compliment, referring to me as once being a goose, which I wasn't. I never was a goose. I was a swan, and soon, I'll be a Cullen."

She pursed her lips, looking irritated. "Way to be overdramatic. Take a damn compliment, would ya?" she said, drying her hands on a paper towel before leaving the bathroom with her head held high. As if she had won this argument. _As if, indeed_.

"What a bitch," Rosalie muttered.

I nodded.

"Memories brings back the worst in people," I said. "Maybe some people are retreating into their old selves."

"Only if they're not happy with who they are tonight. Which you are," Rosalie said.

"I guess you're right," I said. "Have you seen Tanya or Lauren yet?"

Rosalie laughed, but shook her head. "No, I haven't. I bet neither of them dared to appear. Last thing I heard, Tanya was dumped by her fiancée. I think she lives in Portland now, being a single mother."

"Maybe that'll be a wake-up call for her," I said. "It's never too late to change, maybe she'll realize that too."

Rosalie snorted. "Tanya? Changing? Not likely."

"One can hope."

Rosalie shook her head again, and for some reason I hoped she was wrong. I had left high school behind me, and I wished other people did too. That they learnt from their experiences and realized that their behavior wasn't okay anymore.

But maybe that was wishing for too much. Maybe some were destined for evil.

Just look at my mother.

xXx

When the desserts had been eaten, and the tables cleared, we all had to help out moving some of the tables out of the way so we could get some free space for dancing. Soon the middle of the room was completely cleared. People started mingling, and some finally dared to approach us. A few guys from the old football team talked to Emmett, sharing old memories from the field. A couple struck up a conversation with Alice, talking about her collection of clothes. Apparently the woman was wearing a piece designed by Alice.

"Look," Rosalie said, nudging toward the stage. "Lauren _is _here. I guess that's why we didn't think she was here."

"That's… huh, she's changed," I said, amazed.

Lauren, someone who used to dress only slightly less slutty than Tanya, who had her hair just as bleached, now looked like a real soccer mom. Her hair was cut short, and it was brown. It was probably her natural hair color. She was dressed in a pair of dark grey pants and a beige button up shirt. She looked like someone who sang in church every Sunday. Very conservative.

"I'm just taking a wild guess here," I began, "she's probably not a bitch anymore."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Rosalie said. I raised an eyebrow in question at her, and she smiled. "Soccer moms are the worst."

xXx

"It's time," Jessica said, gaining everyone's attention, "to reveal the winners."

I rolled my eyes. I had seen the categories, but I hadn't voted. People voted in categories such as 'biggest success' and 'biggest transformation' as well as categories that referred to our old high school selves, like 'sexiest guy' and 'hottest girl' and crap like that. Going through the winners would take forever, because there were like fifteen or twenty categories, and people were supposed to make speeches. I just wanted to go home. I was tired.

I leaned back against Edward's strong chest, yawning.

I applauded politely as people made their way up the stage to receive their prize. A guy that used to be quite heavy ten years ago got the prize for biggest transformation, because he had lost over a hundred and fifty pounds. It was amazing. Some winners really deserved what they got.

I was not very surprised when Edward received the prize for sexiest guy way back when, he made a short speech, clearly showing he couldn't care less. People applauded weakly when he was done, considering he more or less made fun of this entire shindig. I didn't know whether or not I was proud of him for that.

A part of me had wanted to win something, just to get some kind of recognition, but I didn't. But I guess there really hadn't been a category where I could have won anyway. Emmett and Rosalie won the category of 'hottest couple then & now'. I wasn't surprised, Rosalie was more gorgeous than ever. We left as soon as all the categories had been presented, and everyone had done their stupid speeches. Jessica proclaimed it was now time to party all night. But we decided we weren't really up for it.

"Want to go to that pub that opened last year down the street?" Jasper said. "My dad says it's decent."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Edward said, and we all agreed.

We left the party, walking through the hallways in a group, just like old times.

I realized now that high school really was behind me. That life had nothing to do with my life now. The people from then made no difference to me. And winning a stupid category wouldn't change anything. I didn't need to be approved by these people. The people that made a difference were the once that were in my life. My best friends and my children and my extended family.

I was happy. I hadn't needed to go to the reunion to realize that. I knew I was happy. I was happier than words could ever describe. Maybe I just needed a reminder of what I had come from. Maybe that was the reason most people came. They wanted to know who they were today, by being compared to who they were before. They needed to realize that the people that used to defined them didn't matter anymore, because they were now defining themselves. People were happy, because they had moved on.

I looked up at Edward, smiling at him.

We had moved on in the best way possible, and I could only hope people would be doing the same.


End file.
